June i, 1882.J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
of other travellers, 
this ncoount we are 
ing facts: — 
"Coca," the belov 
w» first named b 
Joseph <le Jussieu. 
respecting this substance, and to 
chiefly indebted for the follow- 
eotie of the Peruvian Indian, 
illy though the labours of 
istorv of this n 
botanist 
He left France in 1735, in the 
ever-memorable expedition of La Condatnine, and 
after M. La Condamine left South America, IV! Jussieu 
continued his botanical researches, making numerous 
journeys on foot, notably those to flic cinchona regions. 
The result of fifteen years' labours were contained in 
certain cases of dried plants, &c., and a native servant 
at Buenos Ayres, think iug these cases contained money, 
stole them, and this loss had such an effect on poor Jus- 
sieu that he returned to Prance in 1771 deprivedofrea ion. 
The Coca is the greatest source of comfort and 
enjoyment to the Peruvian Indian. It is lo him what 
the kava kava is to the South Sea Islander, the betel 
to the Hindu and Malay, and tobacco to the rest 
of maukind, but with this difference, it produces 
invigorating effects;. The Peruvian Indian looks upon 
Coca with veneration. In the palmy days of the 
Uncas or Yncas, Coca was sacrificed to tb.9 sun, the 
high priests or Buillac Umu chewed it during the 
ceremony, aud before the arrival of the Spaniards, 
Coca was used in lieu of money. After the Spanish 
Conquest much was done to prescribe its uses because, 
as a Council of Bishops held in 1569 said, it was 
a "useless and pernicious leaf, and on account of the 
belief stated to be entertained by the Indians, that 
the habit of chewing Coca gave them streugth, which 
is an illusion of the devil." Coca, indeed, from its 
popularity, being used by about eight mi lions of people, 
has always had a great commercial importance, and 
one Viceroy, Don Francisco Toledo, issued no less 
than seventy ordinances concerning Coca in the space 
of four years (1570—1574). 
The Coca plant is a shrub of four to six feet high, 
with straight and alternate branches and leaves like 
those of the Tea plant, and is cultivated at elevations 
from 5,000 to 0,000 feet above the level of the sea 
in the warm valleys of the eastern slopes of the 
Andes. Here the only alternations of climate is from 
wet to dry; frost is unknown, and it rains more or 
less every month of the year. The seeds are sown 
on the surface of the soil as soon as the rainy season 
commences, and begin to sprout in a fortnight, being 
careful! v watered, and protected from the sun by a 
thatched roof. The following year the seedlings lire 
transplanted in a soil carefully broken up and freed 
from weeds, The ancient custom was to raiso the 
plants in terraces on the lull sides, but now plantations 
on the level ground arc resorted to, although Indians 
aver that plants raised under the former conditions 
yield a much superior quality of leaf. At the end 
of eighteen months the first harvest is ready, aud 
the picking of the leaves, p.-rformed by women and 
children, is very carefully proceeded with, BO as not 
to injure tho young and still tender shoots As soon 
as one crop of leaves is romovod, if well watered, 
and the ground carefully weeded, another crop is ready 
in about forty days. A plant continues to yield for 
about forty years, and Dr. P«eppig gives the profil 
of a Coca plantation as about, 15 per cent. Each 
picker carries a piece of cloth in which tho leave-", 
plucked one by ' no, arc placed. These leaves are then 
taken to the drying-yard, formed or slate flags. Here 
tho leaves are spread out in thin layers, mid care- 
fully dried in the run. Too much exposure to the 
sun spoils tho llavour of the leaf, and if heaped too 
much together, the leaves ferment anil h e t.e'.id. 
As soon as dried, the leaves arc packed in bags m ide 
of banana leaves, with an out.side covering ol .huh, 
or packed tightly in large parcels of about 60 lb. 
each, lu the Sandia district of Oaravaya two varieties 
of Coca are recongnised, the Ypara and the Hatun 
Yunca, the latter having a larger leaf tlmn tho former. 
In Bolivia, Coca is treated as a Government monopoly, 
and the right is generally farmed out. In 1850, Coca 
brought into that country's exchequer a sum of '200,000 
dollars. The whole yield of Coca in South America is 
estimated at thirty millions of pounds. Coca soon 
deteriorates in keeping, and Indians treat it as value- 
less if kept longer than seven months. Such is the 
faith in Coca, that it is believed if a dying man can 
but taste a Coca leaf when placed on his tongue, his 
future bliss is assured. No Iudian is without his 
times a day. sitting down, lie takes leaf by leaf and 
rolls them up in 'his mouth till he forms a ball. Then 
carbonate of potash, made by burning the stalks of 
the quinoa plant, mixed with lime and water, he 
goesonhisway rejoicing. The use of Coca is widely 
spread. The shepherd on tho cold slopes of the 
Andes has but this and a little maize a* his sole 
nourishment, and the runner messenger looks to it as 
his solace and support. As to the propertied of Coca, 
it seems very evident that it allows of a greater 
amount of fatigue, with a lesser amount of nourish- 
ment, and prevents difficulty of respiration in ascend- 
ing steep mountain slopes. It has an agreeable and 
aromatic taste, accompanied by a slight irritation, 
which exciies the flow of the saliva. When made 
into a tea, in taste it is like that of green tea, aud 
effectually prevents drowsiness. Applied externally 
as a poultice, it moderates rheumatic pains, brought 
on by exposure to cold and wet, ana also cures 
headache. Mr. Markham chewed Coca leaf very fre- 
quently, aud s'ates that he found it to produce an 
agreeable soothing feeling, that he could endure longer 
abstinence from food with less inconvenience, and 
that when using it; he could ascend precipitous 
mountain sides with a feeling of lightness and elai I i i y. 
and without losing breath. He also considers it the 
least injurious of all other like substances, even when 
taken in excess, aud at the same time ihe most sooth- 
ing and invigorating. — Produce Markets' Review. 
A VISIT TO T 
>OOSA TOBACCO FARM. 
d.ably 
d the 
peting with the American market in the culture and 
curing of the weed for general consumption. Experi- 
mental crops have from time to time been raised and 
cured, under European supervision, under the foster- 
ing wing of different Governments, but the culture was 
first undertaken on commercial principles by Messrs. 
Begg Ounlop of this city, and though they have for 
the past two years had a somewhat uphill experience, 
I believe there is little doubt that the results are of 
a sufficiently encouraging nature to induce them to 
considerably extend their operations, and that the 
growing demand for their produce is likely to far 
outstrip the possibilities of supply. The estate of 
Poosa is the well-known stud depot, nnd is situated 
7 miles from the Wini station on the Tirboot State 
Railway : it oonsistj of some 1,500 beegah*, bounded 
by a bend of the little Guuduk river. au<i is one of 
tho most picturesque sites in Belmr. The . innds are 
beautifully wooded, nnd are intersected by drive*, 
some I "J miles in extent, shaded by well-grov n avenue* 
of Teak and Babool. It would Itavo born difficult to 
find elsewhere a property, whore all the requirements 
in tho form of drying aud curing houses were with 
few alterations ready built, and it is dou ..unit; 
to this happy nccuUnt that th- birth i -u\ 
is duo. The stables, fifteen in number, that Wisra in 
