THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Feb. ], l9o2. 
oinchooa tree constituted the laboratory in which 
the alkaloids are formed and this coajecture has now 
been proved to be corrected by Dr. Lotsy of Buiten- 
sorg, Java. Pruning should therefore be a work 
carried out with caution and discrimination. In dense 
plantations the removal of some of the lower bran- 
ches and extra stems is decidedly beneficial as it 
tends to the more vigorous growth of the crowns 
of the trees and admits more light and air to the 
soil, but where the trees have ample space in which 
to develop naturally it may be said that pruning 
should be left as much as possible to nature. The 
difficulty experienced in recent years in tilling up 
gaps in the plantation with seedling plants, or 
rather the difficulty in establishing these supplies, 
has been so great that it was decided to make a 
trial with stumps of well matured plants. 36,407 of 
these stumps were put out in different parts of the 
estate in the gaps formed by the removal of old 
trees, and it is hoped that on account of their 
more vigorous root system the stumps will succeed 
where seedlings failed. Allusion was made in the 
last report to an experiment that had been made 
with the object of ascertaining if the protection 
of the stems of old trees by means of a covering 
of grass increased the alkaloidal value of the bark. 
Bark from a number of the covered stems and from 
a similar number of trees on the same plot, which 
had not been grassed, was analysed with the result 
that the former yielded 6'36 per cent, sulphate of 
quinine, while the latter gave 5"58 per cent. The 
increased yield of sulphate of quinine was thus "78 
per cent. Taking the yield of dry bark at 4,000 lb. 
per acre which is low estimate, the increased 
number of units obtained was 3,120. The present 
value of the unit is lid. so that the gross inirease 
in the value of the bark which had been covered 
was Rs. 341-4 0. The cost of the grassing per acre 
Bs. 58-2-10 so that the net increase in value 
amount to Rs. 2S3-1-2. 
The total expenditure on the estate was Rs, 13,806-2-3 
or Rs. 42-12-0 per acre. The crop obtained was 
68,411 lbs. and the cost of the bark was therefore 3 
annas 2'74 pies per pound. 
A peculiar condition of the roots of some of the 
old trees on the estate was observed during the 
year. The roots were found to be covered with 
nodules or galls. Specimens of the affected roots 
were submitted to Mr. O. A, Barber, the Governmet 
Botanist, who reported that they were attacked by 
the root gall nematode Heterodera Radicicola. This 
nematode attacks tea and coffee and a large number 
of wild and cultivated plants, but its presence in 
the roots of the cinchona tree has not, it is believed 
been noticed before. The affected trees at Doda- 
betta do not show any traces of impaired vitality, 
although it is evident from the condition of the 
roots that the disease is not of recent date. Pot 
experiments are being made in order that the effect 
of the nematode on the cinchona plant may be 
better observed. Several cinchona stumps on whose 
roots the galls formed by the nematode were nu- 
merous were put into pots and in the same pots 
healthy cinchona and tea seedlings were planted. 
At the time of writting the stumps have thrown 
up healthy shoots and are growing freely and the 
cinchona and tea seedlings are doing well. The 
roots of these seedlings will be examined from time 
to time to ascertain if they have been attacked by 
the nematodes from the cinchona stump?. The 
disease has not been noticed among the old trees 
at Nedivattam, but the nematodes have been found 
on that estate in the roots of young plants on old 
land. The young plants thus affected were stunted 
in growth and unhealthy in appearance, a condition 
which was attributed to exhaustion of soil. It has 
yet to be proved whether the unhealthy condition 
of these plants was due to the attack of the 
Heterodera Radicicola or to the exhaustion of the 
eoil by previous crops of cinchona. 
(h) yedivatf am. —There has been a great improve- 
meut in the appearance of the trees on this estnte 
during the year, the result of the more libaral 
system of cultivation that has been followed in 
recent years, The good effect of deep digging and 
the burying of weeds on 129 61 acres was well marked 
and the pruning of plots 21 and 28, as well as the 
removal of dead branches and twigs from the ol ler 
trees improved the appearnce of the estate. At the 
commencement of the year the remaining succiruba 
on plot 2 were coppiced. These tree^ weie the oldest 
of any on ihe Government estates, having been 
planted in 1862, and it is s :tiiUctory io nue that 
at the end of the year the young growth from the 
stools was healthy and vigorous. The condition of 
the trees on plot VII which were copiced in 1879 
IS very satisfactory, and other copiced plois nn the 
estate show very good growth. On the Nilgiris 
where the successful replanting of oil laud is a 
matter of considerable difficulty, there can be little 
doubt that the most profltible method of working 
a cinchona plantation, in order to obtain a sus- 
tained yield, is to combine the system followed 
in Java with that of the copice system. Close 
planting and gradual thinning oat followed by 
coppicing offers a better chance of success than 
thinning out followed by uprootal of the trees, and 
a repUnting of the ground which is the course 
adopied in Java. The systems of shaviug and 
stripping seriously affect the growth and vigour of 
the trees, and although renewed bark is generally 
richer in quinine than natural bark the yield of 
quinine pec acre over a series of years is greater 
in the case of thinning and coppicing than by 
either the shaving or stripping system. 
During the south east monsoon 46,400 eucalyptus 
plants were put out on plot XI as an addition to 
the fuel reserve, but the excessive rain during June 
July and August caused a number of tlie plants' 
to damp off and the planting was not a success 
The vacancies will be filled during the coming 
monsoon with well-grown plants of which a cju- 
eiderable stock is in the nurseries. 
The expenditure during the year was Rs, 15 279-0-3 
or Rs. 48-8-1 per acre. The crop obtained was 
64,317 lbs. at cost of 3 annas 9 61 pies per pound. 
(c) Hooker.— The old estate has improved in ap- 
pearance during the year. All sickly and dying 
trees were coppiced, dead branches and twigs were 
removed and pruning was done where it was re- 
quired. The estate was sickle weeded during the 
monsoon and dug over before thedry whether set 
in. The new extensions now consist of 240 acres 
of which No. 1 was planted in 1898-9), No 2 in 
1999-1900 and No. 3 during the past year.' The 
growth of the plants on No. 1 has been rather un- 
even. Some portions of the 80 acres have come on 
very well, but the excess of moistare during June, 
July and August proved fatal to a certain number 
of plants. These vacancies will be filled in duiincr 
the coming monsoon with well-grown plants raised 
from seed received from Java. Out of the 50 plants 
on this plot whose height measurements are taken 
quarterly, three died during the year. The average 
height of the 47 survivors was 7 feet 3 inches. The 
tallest of these plants was 10 feet 10 inches. These 
plants were from 3 to 4 inches high when put out 
in 1898 and the growth they have made in a little 
over 2^ years is very satisfactory. The No. 2 exten- 
sion is more even than No. 1 and promises to do 
very well. The plants have made good growth and 
look strong and healthy. No. 3 which was opened 
during the year promises well. The plants were 
small when they were put out, but owing to favour- 
able weather in the dry season they have already 
made good growth. The fourth extension of 80 acres 
will be planted in 1901-1902. 
The total expenditme on the old estate was Rs. 
5,261-3-9 or Rs. 27 2-iO per acre and the crop ob- 
