Oct. 
t 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
239 
, 1897.] 
“GKEVILLEA ROEUSTA.” 
We call attention to the interestin" letter, 
which a plantin'; colonist, tinder tlie well-knoMn 
sij^natnre “ 8enex,” sends ns respecting 
tins tree. Our tirst actiuaintance with it arose 
throu'di a long series of vain attempts made hy the 
late ^Ir. A. M. Ferguson under the encouragement 
ef Dr. Tliwaites of Peradeniya, to grow it at 
“Aloe Avenue,” Kollupitiya. Tlie plants flourished 
from September till May; but the saline breezes 
of the South-west monsoon invariably swept 
away their leaves, anil tlie young trees dwindled 
down beyond recovery. We should like to know 
if Greviilea Itobmtu suceeeils in the Kaliitara 
or even in the Ke’ani Valley district ? U pcountry, 
its success, as ‘‘Senex” points out, is uiupiali- 
tied. What he .says of its uses as a timber-tree 
is very interesting, esjieciaPy when coupled witli 
the benclib conferred by its Utter of fallen leaves, 
and through the tree tapping a deep subsoil. Mr. 
Cantlayof Mount Vernon, wiio, we suppose, has .as 
line a display of grevilleas as any planter in the 
country, ought certainly to get an analysis made 
by Mr. Cochran of the fallen leaves, to see 
whiit iiis soil exactly gains from them ? “ Senex ” 
mentions that the tree or its branches are not 
very useful as fuel unless left to dry thoroughly. 
He also refers to its ready growth from 
seed ; but would it not be well to get seed as 
a rule f.’.om another country — or at any rate, a 
different district — and to be sure that it is from 
fully matured trees ? 
Since writing the above we find Mr. Cochr.an 
has dealt fully with the leaves of Greviilea Ruhuda 
in his “Ceylon Manual of Analyses” (a book 
which ought'to be in the hands of all thoughtful 
practical phinters). We quote as follows 
' LEAVES or THE GKEVILLEA EOBUSTA. 
As the tea plant is found to flourish best under 
a certain degree of shade, the tree called greviilea 
robusta, a native of Australia, has been largely planted 
on Ceylon tea estates. This tree serves the double 
purpose of breaking the force of the wind and of afford- 
ing a suitable amount of shade for the tea plant. It is 
therefore interesting to ascertain how far this tree 
competes with the tea shrub for the plant food in the 
soil. With this object in view, two ten pound parcels 
of leaves were sent to the author for analysis ; one 
parcel containing 10 lb. green leaves, the other 10 lb. of 
sun-dried old leaves. 
It will be observed from the accompanying tables of 
a<^ricultural analyses of greviilea leaves acd the com- 
parison of their composition with that of tea leaves, 
that, while the tea leaves are very rich in the more im- 
portant constituents of plant food, viz., the nitrogen, 
potash, and phosphoric aci h the greviilea leaves are 
correspondingly poor in these constituents and are 
very rich in the less valuable lime. The tea and gre- 
viilea trees are therefore examples of different trees 
well suited to grow together on the same soil. It will 
further be observed that there is a very considerable 
difference between the greviilea green and old leaves. 
The latter show a smaller proportion of ash when cal- 
culated upon the dry matter of the leaf, and the ash is 
of inferior quality shewing more especially a remark- 
able decrease in the lime and potash and a correspond- 
ingly large increase in the siliceous matt r. Suppos- 
ing these old leaves to have lain on the ground for some 
time, part of this difierence might not be in the con- 
stitution of the leaf ; but might be accounted for by 
mineral matter being dissolved out and a small addi- 
tion of persistently adhering soil, as an amount of ad- 
hering soil which would add a very trifling percentage 
to th^weight of the leaf would add a considerable per- 
centage to the weight of the ash of the leaf. 
To the above remarks Mr. Cochran appends 
.»everal tables of analyse.s of “Green leaves,” 
“ Old leaves, sun-dried,” “ Dry matter of old 
leaves,” “ Ash of green leaves,” “ Ash of old 
30 
leave.s,” and “ Comparison of the important 
constituents of plant food in tea leates and 
greviilea leaves.” These ought to be consulted 
by all interested— ami what tea planter is not ? 
CULTIVATION OF COCA (“ EKYTH- 
ROXYLON ■’ COCA) IN CEYLON. 
A planter writes to ask us:— “What was 
the reason that the cultivation of Coca Ery- 
throxijlon (for cocaine) was not seriously taken 
up? I see by an old volume of the T. -I. that an 
experimental lot of leaves sent home in 18, S5 
was valued at 13s jier lb. The plant is said to 
be almost naturalized about I’eradeniya.” Our 
correspondent will liiul a full history of our 
Ceylon experiments so far as they have gone 
in ' our “ Planting Review” in “ Handbook and 
Directory” pages 132-133. The one or two Cey* 
Ion planters who have gone in for coca have 
no doubt done very well ; for the export of 
“ coca leave.s” has increased from 9.56 Ih. in 
1890 to 3,392 and 3.397 lb. in 1895 and 1896 
respectively. The fear of overdoing the market 
(after the experience of cinchona) h.as no doubt 
kept planters generally in suitable districts — from 
Dumbara to lower Pussellawa (?) or so -from 
going in for coca. Vt'e see that cultivation i.s 
extending in Peru : in fact we may as well quote 
what is said in the very latest .Journal of the 
“Society of Arts” (July 30th) on the subject : — 
THE PllODUCTIOH OE COCA IN PEKU. 
Before the discovery of cocaine and ils anassthetic 
properties, the consumption of coca was limited to the 
demands of those provinces in Peru in which the mining 
industry was carried on, the miners refusing to work 
unless they were supplied with coca. Twenty years 
ago, accordb g to the Econoiiiiata of Lima, the cultiva- 
tion was only engaged in in districts which enjoyed 
the most favourable conditions oi climate and labour. 
In the province of Outzco, the systematic cultivation 
of coca was only carried on in the haciendas of 
Choquisongo and Sanjumas, and the production amply 
siifflced for the needs of local consumption and the 
mining industries of Salpo and Saypullo. For some 
time past the production of coca has greatly deve- 
loped, and the province of Otuzco is at the present 
time the most important producing district in the 
north of Peru, its production e.xceeding even that of 
the provinces of Huainachuco and Gajabamba, not only 
as regards quantity but also quality. The number of 
plants is 2,700,09, and the majority of the plants in 
this province have not yet attained their full develop- 
ment. The coca from these districts is bought by 
two houses of Trujillo for the cocaine factories, of 
Lima, and as they enjoy a sort of monopoly, the prices 
vary at will. The proprietors of the haciendas of 
Huayobamba and Cayhauchal are proposing to establish 
cocaine factories in close proximity to their planta- 
tions, which may have the effect of lowering the 
prices. With the exception of the hacienda of Chuqui 
lanqui situated on the river of that name, all the 
other coca plantations are found along the river 
Ohicama. To obtain the best results, coca should be 
cultivated in places where the temperature rarely falls 
below 24° Centigrade (75° Pahr.) and frequently rises 
as high as 30° (80° Fahr.) As regards the altitude 
of the plantations, those of Callancas and Huayo- 
bamba are for the most part situated at an eleva- 
tion of 3 000 to 4,000 feet above the level of the sea ; 
a few are found as high as 5,<‘00 feet, but the pro- 
duct in these cases is of an inferior quality. The 
haciendas of Chuquulanqui, and a few others tf 
minor importance, are situated at an altitude of abot.t 
2,000 feet. The quality of the coca varies according 
to the soil. That obtained from dry ground is better 
than the product of a moist soil. It is for this reason 
that the Chuqnillanqui coca, although frequently 
attaining a height of about 9 feet, is far from possess- 
ing the strength and aroma of that produced in 
