April i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
909 
THE HYBRIDITY OF CINCHONAS. 
Roehamptou, Haputale, March 7th. 
Dear Sir, — I read with great interest "New Pro- 
duct's" letter, and your article on "The JJybridity 
of Cinchonas," in your issim of the 4th instant; and, 
»9 I consider it every planter's duty to add to I lie 
accumulation of facts, in reference to tropical agri- 
cultur 
lg bis daily search 
for cause or effect, I place the following facts at your 
disposal. 
On this estate there are "Succi rubra" trees, "0. 
Condaminea" approaching "0. Uriiusinga" and "C. 
OIliciiKilis" about medium "Bonplandiana" growing side 
by side, about 1 I years of age. These trees were planted 
along the edge of the coffee about a chain apart, 
forming a kind of boundary there are only some 300 
or 400 of them : there not hybrids amongst them, at 
least not of the Robusta variety. 
I have taken seed from the succi rubra trees and 
sown it, and the result has been, on every occasion, 
sucoirubra plants. 
I have sold some 40 Lb, of succirubra seed. I never 
heard of its turning out anything but succirubra plant". 
On the other hand, the seed from the Condaminea 
and Bonplandiana varieties has never produced plants 
like the trees from which the seed was taken, but 
|rpduced hybrids, the greater majority being Pata 
de Galinazo, a few having a somewhat Succirubra 
appearance. 
There are some young, self-grown " Robusta" grow- 
ing amongst the Succirubra and Condaminea trees, 
and 1 have only noticed seed on one, for the first 
time this year. My experience as regards the seeds 
spoken of above commenced in 1873. — I am, dear sir, 
yours faithfully, H. V. MARC ARY. 
FLORIDA Notes on Sorohum.— The amber is too 
small to be of uny value for syrup, growing only 
five or six feet high and very slender, but it makes 
excellent forage, producing three crops of full size 
in one season from one planting The Chinese is 
much larger, growing from eight to ten feet high 
an 'l producing more and better seed than either of 
the other varieties, but it is not equal to Honduras 
for syrup. The Honduras is a very large and late 
variety of sorghum. On rich land it will grow from 
fifteen feet high. It not only makes more syrup to 
the acre than the other varieties, but syrup of a 
better quality. — Florida Agriculturist. 
Give Trees Room.— A Petaluma man tells the 
Courier: "When I first set out my orchard I set 
my trees lb'i feet apart each way. After the trees 
caruo to maturity, the fruit b' gan to deteriorate ; it 
was not so good nor abundant and the trees became 
more or lesi diseased. Five years ago I began to 
thin my apple orchard by taking out one-half of the 
trees alternate in the rows so as to give them a space 
of 33 by 28 feet. The first year after making the 
change I did not perceive any difference, but the 
second year I got more than double tho quantity of 
fruit that I formerly had from the same ground 
with all the trees standing, and of better quality. 
It is my judgment that standard pear and apple 
trees should not stand nearer than 33 feet apart each 
way alter ihey get to bo 15 years old. Other kinds 
of fruit trees should bo planted from 20 to 30 feet 
apirt. I had about tho same experience with my 
Vineyard. 1 first set out my vinos t> feet apart each 
way. After the vines become about 12 years old 
tllu fruit was of inferior quality nlid the yield small. 
1 then commenced thinning thoin by digging up 
every third row ; dually 1 dug up three fourths 01 
them until I made them stand 18 by 6 feet apart."— 
Au»tiala$i:tn, 
The Importation of Chicory and Coffee.— In 
connection with a question asked in the House of 
Commons last session by Mr. Barran, M. P., that gen- 
tleman has received from the Board of Trade a com- 
munication stating that, the Government have now 
decided to allow the importation of colfee mixed with 
chicory, which was formerly forbidden. The con- 
ditions under which the same mixture may be exported 
have now been extended. — Daily Newn. 
Cinchona. — In March, 18fi(j, Genoral Morin sent out 
seeds furnished by Sir J. Hooker, Kew, to Dr. Vinson 
and his son at Reunion, and in August, 1870, there 
were 5,000 plants of 1 to 0 metres in height and 25,000 
"bontures" fit for transplanting. In view of the large 
quantity of quinine required in France, it is intended to 
essay the cultivation in Algeria. In 1878 nearly 3$ 
million pounds of quinine, valued at over .£35,000, was 
imported into France. There are in Algeria, in the 
region of the Sahel, certain territories which appear to 
be favourable to the culture of the cinchonas. The 
success which has attended the English and Dutch efforts 
in the East appear to give encouragement to the at- 
tempts. — Journal of Applied Science. 
Agricultural Experiment in the Bellary Dis- 
trict.— Mr. A. Sabapathy Mudaliyar, writes to us from 
Bellary : — "With reference to Dr. Cornish's letter, pub- 
lished in your issue of the 29th ultimo, regarding my 
experiments in cotton planting after ploughing with 
European ploughs and manuring with poudrette, I 
enclose you copy of a letter addressed to the Collec- 
tor of Bellary for such notice as you may think necess- 
ary. The letter will give you some notion of what 
I have done, and what I am proposing to do. It will 
al-o show you how little help the Board of Revenue 
are disposed to afford persons willing to enter upon 
agricultural pursuits with improved implements and a 
more rational system of culture than exists at present. 
The result of my venture so far has been very en- 
couraging. During my inspection last week and this 
I found the cotton cro '8 ou my lands in very fine 
condition, in spite of a deficiency of rainfall. I think 
I may fairly estimate the outturn of my crops 
at 200 per cent more than the probable outturn of 
the lands that bive not been ploughed with the 
English plough, nor manured " — Madras Weekly Mail. 
Queensland Timber.— In the jungles on the ea*t 
coast of Cape York Peninsula much valuable timber 
exists, especially the highly prized red cedar (Ccdrela 
AwslrwU, Mueller) and bands of lumberers penetrate 
their gloomy recesses for the purpose of felling the 
trees and rafting the logs for export. It is calculated 
that from two of the rivers, known as the Mossman 
and Daintree, four million feet of ce lar had been ex- 
ported between Novcmb r, 1874, and April, 187S, 
and that three million feet were at the last named 
date lying ready for shipment, besides another lot of 
half-a mi.lion feet at the Jdhnsione river. The market 
value of c dar in the log is from 35s. to 40s. per 100 
feet in Melbourne. The market value in Brisbane was 
stated at the Queensland Exhibition of 1878 to be 
£7 10s. to £8 10s. per 1,000 superficial feet. The 
value of this minor industry therefore can easily be 
cdculated. This tree is a mere variety of the 
Singapore cedar (Cedrela Taona, Roxburgh), which 
ascends tho Himalayas to 8,000 feet. It attains a 
height of 200 feet and iho foliage is deciduous. The 
Rev. Dr. Wbolls noted in New South Wales tree* so 
largo as to yield 30,000 superficial feet of timber. 
This light, beautiful wood, easily worked and su-copti- 
blu of high polish, is much in request for furniture, 
for the manufacture of pianofortes, i ,r boat bn Iding 
and n Variety ol other »ork. Tho timb r from tho 
junction of ihe branches with tho stem furnishen the 
choicest veneers Tho bark contaius a considerable 
quantity of tannin which produces a purplish leather. 
—Journal <>/ Applied Sele&eei 
