May i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
959 
telligence and regularity, will sity of at least 5 per cent., 
in a few months convince but, as said above, I would 
the most sceptical of the for the first charge recom- 
value of my method. 
Mr. D. Morris used carbolic acid in one per cent 
and two per cent solutions, but nothing was said 
in his lectures of the result of his experiments. 
Professor Stevenson Macadam of Edinburgh recom- 
mended in 1879 the washing of the steins and stouter 
branches of the coffee tree with a solution of one part by 
• volume of carbolic acid to nine pares of water, but that 
was with the view of destroying Mr. Morris's " fila- 
ments." 
COCOA CULTIVATION IN CEYLON. 
We owe many apologies to the able and experi- 
enced writer of the letter in another column on this 
subject for the oversight which has delayed publica- 
tion of his letter. It is still in good time, however, 
and well worthy the attention of those engaged in 
cultivating the source of Iheobrorna, the food of the 
gods. As to having no serious enemies to contend 
with, however, our friend " W. L." differs loto caeh 
from "W. F. L.," and thinks mole-crickets and wind, 
especially the latter, most serious enemies for the 
young plant to contend with. Indeed, " VV. F. L." 
himself deprecates planting on windy ridges. Our 
own observation leads us to the conclusion that to 
no plant, when young, are tearing winds more fatal. 
Shelter in the earlier stages, is, therefore, in the 
case of this culture, a sine ij/la non, while " \Y. I'. L," 
has also found a degree of shade beneficial. If 
cocoa will "'make soil" and continue bearing, as is 
hoped, for sixty years, we can surely wait four years 
for the full bearing stage. For "cocoa," as for Li- 
berian coffee, we cannot doubt there is a great 
future in Ceylon. Has the hardier character of the 
"caraccas" variety of cocoa been observed : the seed 
of some pods of white caraccas got from Heneratgoda 
have produced the quickest growing and hardiest 
plants we have yet seen in the island. 
CINCHONA AND CINCHONA HYBRIDS. 
Amongst papers which have accumulated we find a 
letter, from which we quote as follows : — 
1 have been somewhat amused at Colonel Beddome'a 
report upon cinchona. I cannot see what benefit 
ran arise from bringing new men continually upon old 
subjects. For my part I can show every connecting 
link from a sncoiruba pure and simple in every 
gradation until we roach an ordinary officinalis, 
calisaya what else you like. I have also bad bark from 
both the pubescent and glabrous leaved hybrids 
analyzed with the averageresult of the pubescent form 
proving the richer in quinine, often as much as 1 per 
cent, above tbe smooth leaved or glabrous form, the 
analyses having been made by Or. Paul. 1 look upou 
these now (?) questions as.matters settled by Maelver 
10 years ago, now to bo theorized ami brought 
up as new again, owing to the iuexperieuco 
aud want of discrimination of one man. My experi- 
ments, us regards results, prove Mac Ivor to be right 
in all his points, except in extent, wherein alone, I 
think, be is wrong in a sli bt . ,,i : 'i n of t In- 
qualities of hie pets. Remove this, and the main facts 
coincide with my knowledge, far more than with til her 
Cross or Reddome. Cinchona, as a wild plant) is us much 
removed from cinchona as a cultivated one as an uu- 
edqoated rustic is from an educated man. I am rat] 
miK-h mistaken if cinchona lias not the power of cros 8 . 
ing and producing fertile seed. Possibly some special 
kinds have more potent influences in this respect upou 
other special kinds than they have on others, but the 
degree to which this law applies has not yet been de- 
termined, but undoubtedly it exists. 
Another correspondent, however, remains a sceptic in 
the face of all evidence, and writes : — 
" I have read your article on the hybridity of cin- 
chonas. I am sorry I cannot accept a baseless theory, 
in place of my own knowledge obtained after 16 
years' close observation of the identical plants now in 
dispute. I will reply in due form, notwithstanding your 
kindly warning, to keep a calm sough. My Iriend 
' VV. P. L.' (alias 'New Products') is sensible as 
usual, and I am glad to welcome him back at this 
juncture." 
This mail has brought us the analyses of some barks, 
we had sent to Mr. Eliot Howard for his inspection, 
and he accompanies the figures with the following re- 
marks of general interest : — 
March 3rd, 1882. 
I cannot say anything about the trees from which 
the bark was taken, except that the analysis seems 
to indicate that they are all hybrids. This is a very 
easy explanation I know and much too freely re- 
sorted to, but in this case it is all I can offer. 
"The Spauish botanists and recently Dr. Weddell 
were very careful in their description of species to 
pay particular attention to the barks. This has been 
too much neglected since in some quarters and conse- 
quent confusion results. 
" I have heard from Col. Beddome, but have not 
received the specimens he promised. I suppose they 
have gone to Kew. 
" Is the Ifark of the (misnamed) magnifolia the same 
as that of pitbescen&l That of this latter is very dis- 
tinctive. The name C. robusta seems well applied to 
the pubescent of which I have a flourishing specimen 
some 8 to 10 feet hiah." 
The Quinologist therefore approves of the name sug- 
gested by Dr. Trimen for the vigorous Ceylon pubescent 
hybrids. In referring to some of the analyses of the 
bark from these hybrids, we shall give particulars of 
the trees. 
ON THE HILLS OF CEYLON. 
Beyond aud around Nawalapitiya is the re- 
gion of tea, extensive plantations of which are pre- 
paring traffic for the railway which ia scoring the hill- 
sides and passes through many abandoned coffee estates 
Sir. \Vm Gregory, in the discussion on the precarious- 
ness of coffee, took care to say that in his opinion 
we were only at the beginning of discovering the 
various products which could be cultivated in Ceylon. 
Our late Governor would have been delighted had he seen 
what we saw at "Strathellie" two days ago : 300 acres of 
luxuriant tea and a Jackson's tea roller at work on 
the green leaf, which a Davidson's Sirocco was con- 
verting into dry, of as good or better quality than 
that tired over furnaces of charcoal. To get to Mr. |\ 
', R. Shand's property the traveller proceeds to Oini- 
I aathena j then about a couple of miles down the 
j Yatiantote road, and finally along an estate road to 
; the right : or 10 miles in all from Nawalapitiya. The 
I pbice is in old Ambagamuwa and was bluing hot 
w hen w e walked over and admired it : perfect contrast 
I as it is to tbe comparatively low and level tea land we 
saw in .Java. But it ran rain there, to the extent of 
•J'20 inches per annum. Tea can grow w ith tin inches, 
but it Nourishes under from KM) to •.'.",(). flu-re is mi 
question as to the actual raooeM of tea hen end it 
Galbodds, or the prospective sm • -ess of the largo acres 
on old Carolina, Mount Jean, ft », I'p here aud all 
