CINCHONA CULTIVATION IN INDIA. 
947 
carried out, during the time which intervened between the 
date of this letter and the last account of the gardens, 25th 
July, 1870, appears from the perusal of the correspondence, 
and the reports of the botanists and managers of the 
property. 
The total number of plants growing in the gardens 31st 
March, 1868, was 2,353,3 70, against 1,926,044 as compared 
with the previous year. The number distributed to the 
public made a total, up to that time, of 170,470. The first 
plants permanently planted out in August and September, 
1862, had attained heights varying from 17 to 18 feet, the 
larger kinds having been cut down for the bark, to be sent to 
the European market. These plants began to show their 
tree-like character, and, together with those planted in 1863 
and 1864, were then yielding an abundance of excellent seeds, 
of third, second, and first crops, according to the age of the 
trees. With regard to the period required to produce bark, 
Mr. MTvir, the manager, had definitely fixed it at four to 
six years, at which age the trees on the Neilgherries had 
commenced to yield a small harvest, the quantity being found 
to equal that of the finest Peruvian bark. The demand for 
seeds had been very great, and the f Notes on Cinchona 
Cultivation 5 had enabled the private planters to raise the 
seeds successfully. The public sales of bark had realised 
very satisfactory prices, ranging higher than those obtained 
for them as a description of American bark. A wide field 
seemed, therefore, opened for enterprising capitalists, since 
the best kinds w T ould, without doubt, be cultivated with 
certainty over the whole plateau of the Neilgherries, and 
that, too, on grass land, where the preparation required but 
a small outlay of capital. As a private speculation, the culti- 
vation was gaining ground, and several fine estates were pro- 
gressing rapidly. It was also gratifying to the authorities to 
observe the readiness with which planters, both European 
and native, were disposed to undertake the cultivation in 
connection with coffee plantations. During the year, 198 
acres additional had been planted, making a total of 1,093 
acres under the management of the government, and the 
whole executed at a cost from the commencement of 432,367 
rupees. 
An analysis of the bark sent by Mr. Howard, 1868-9, 
gave a steady and increasing yield of alkaloid, whilst one 
variety had been ascertained by Mr. Broughton, the Govern- 
ment quinologist, to yield the extraordinary amount of 9*75 
per cent, of quinine. The plants had been found to contain 
the greatest vigour at heights varying from 5,000 to 
