( 10 ) 
Cinchona, — A ^reiit drop of over d million lb. in our exports for 1891 — to 0,679,339 lb. — 
shows bow rapidly our trees are now being used up. Our poor barks are, however, now scarcely 
worth harvesting. The history of cinchona culture in Ceylon— a most interesting and instructive 
one — is drawing to its close ; the future of the industry belongs to Java, which has followed wiser 
counsels and has known how to wait. 
Cacao. — It is gratifying to see a substantial increase in our export of this product, the amount 
for 1891 (20 ,.o 32J cwt.) being coiasiderably the largest yet recorded. Prices, too, have continued very 
high for Ceylon cacao, which now occupies a commanding position in the home market. 
Many inquiries have been addressed to me by persons interested in the West Indies as to 
the causes of the much higher prices reached by the Ceylon product. So far as I am able to judge, 
1 believe it to be almost wholly due to the greater care and skill employed in the processes of 
manufacture, and especially to the copious washing and thorough drying of the beans. 1 do not 
think it possible to attribute it to any general superiority in the cacao here grown, for, as remarked 
in my last report, it holds good both as to the ‘‘ Old Red” and Foi’astero ” varieties, though no 
doubt it is the fact that it is the former sort alone which exhibits the peculiar light colour of the 
interior so appreciated by the chocolate maker. 
The distribution of seeil to villagers has been continued, and about 1,000 pods have been sent 
from Peradeniya, and nearly the saine number from lleiiaratgoda, to the Government Agents of Rat- 
napura, Kegalla, and Matale, for direct distribution. 1 followed up the remarks made on this subject 
in my last report by an inquiry into two applications receivetl through the Government Agent of the 
Centra] Province, and found, as 1 had suspected, that the persons who were asking for seed gratis 
Avere not of a class who had tiny right to be so supplied, or indeed likely to be cultivators at all ; and 
I of course refused to entertain the applications. In Sabaragamuwa, on the contrary, the distribution 
has been carried out in a pro 2 )er manner, and its results are begi lining to ajipear. At the Agri-Horti- 
cultural Show held at Kcgalla in August, there Avere no less than eighteen exhibits of cacao. 
India-Hnbber Trees. — Para Rubber. 1 Avas able to siqiply the Forest Department Avith 20,000 
seeds and 2,000 stunqis for the plantations near Nambapana, in SabaragamuAva, alluded to in my last 
report ; and it is hojied there Avill be at least as large a quantity of seed to sjiare in 1892. A case 
of 10 stumps Avas also sent to British North Borneo, and .'lOO seeds to the German East African 
Comiiany. Our largest tree, now sixteen years old, girths 6 ft. 1 in. at ii yard from the ground. 
Panama Rubber (Casfi/loa etastica). The Conductor of Henaratgoihi Gardensjjirepared a samiile 
of rubber from this for the Colombo Exhibition. It Avas obtained by making small V-shaped incisions 
in the bark (after carefullj' Avashiug it) and alloAving the milk to trickle doAvn on the tree and into 
cocoanut shells and to dry in. siln, afterwards pulling it oil' and hnally finishing the drying by ex- 
posure to the sun. The samjilo tipjjears to be of first-rate quality, very clean ami solid, and is very 
dark, almost black in colour. Our best tree of this is only 3 ft. 7 in. in circumference. 
Canibier {Uncaria Uambier ). — The tiA-e iilants at Henaratgoda are very healthy amt have 
grown rajiidly. d’wo flowered freely in Aiiril, and jiroduced a fcAv seed-poils. There Avill 
apparently be no dilHculty in propagating this plant in the Colony. 
1 took the oiiportunity Avhilst at Singapore of Avitnessing the manufacture of this curious 
ju’oduct, and though it has more than once been partially described,* I think the precise mode of 
procedure as 1 saAvit is Avorth recording. Accompanied by Mr. Ridley, the Director of the Botanic 
Gardens, I Ausited on 11th March a Chinese idantation at Chung-chu-kong, a feAV miles out of 
Singapore, AAdiere the cult iAuition and manufacture iscarried on. The Avliole industry is in the hands 
of the Chinese, Avho groAV the plant — it can scarcely be said to be cultivated — on the exposed slope® 
amid a tangled mass of AA'eeds, lantana, and alang-grass ; the last is occasionally cut aAAay, but uc 
other lielj) is given. The bushes on this idantation Avere five years old, and the plant lives from 
thirteen to fifteen years, lloAvering all the year round. The manufacture is carried on only avIicO 
the pepper, a more valuable product, is not ready for picking. Only one sort is grown 
Singapore, and Avhether the U. acida, said to all'ord Gambier in Penang, is really different, is vcO 
doubtful. U. Gambier does not seem to be knoAvn in a Avild state, but Mr. Ridley tells me that tlm 
Avild U. ovalifolia is A'cry close, and may possibly be the same. 
The Gambier plant forms a straggling semi-scandent shrub Avith long arching branches, 
the crop consists of the short leafy tAvigs Asdiich branch off from them laterally. These are rapidw, 
stripped off by hand and carried in baskets to a low thatched shed. Here are lixeil large circuit* 
iron vats filled Avith AA'ater, Avhich is kept in complete ebullition by large fires beneath ; a constaW 
supply of brusliAvood or other fuel is thus necessary for this industry. The leaves and twigs ar® 
immersed in the boiling Avater, and constantly stirred about and bruised for six hours by tAVO me^ 
armed Avith long-handled five-pronged forks made of the very hard “Tampines” wood (Sloet’^ 
There in a yugd account in Hej,'’bieV ” Malayan PeninHulu. 
