336 
Gardens vary considerably. We have trees that before they were tapped 
produced ridiculously small but quite good seed, and trees that were 
younger and had never been tapped produced very large seed. The 
size of the seed of the oldest trees, which certainly have not been heavi- 
ly tapped, though for some years they were occasionally tapped are 
decidedly small. But the amount of tapping they had about once in 
five or six years could hardly so. affect them. Further small-seeded 
trees as far as has been seen keep true whatever the season may be 
and regardless of whether they have been tapped or not. The earlier 
years of fruiting trees seem always to produce large seed, with the 
exceptions of the specially small seeded trees, all of which however 
that I know of are over 20 years old. 
1 am more inclined to think that with trees of normal size average 
seed the early fruiting gives large seed, getting a little smaller in later 
years, while some trees give small seed from the start, 
H. N. R. 
COCA-LEAVES. 
Erythroxylon Coca. 
The Coca plant is a small bushy shrub growing to about 6 or 8 
feet tall with very bright yellow green leaves, and small white flowers 
followed by little scarlet drapes, oblong in shape. It is a native of 
South America where in Peru the dried leaves have been for very 
many years used as a stimulant by the natives. From the leaves the 
drug cocaine is prepared and used as an anaesthetic chiefly in eye and 
tooth diseases. 
The plant has long been in cultivation in Singapore in the Botanic 
Gardens and has also been supplied to a number of planters of whom 
Mr. Machado of Kamuning estate was one. He has lately prepared a 
sample of the leaves and submitted them to examination and analysis 
at the Imperial Institute and sends the following - report on their use 
and value. 
The Coca plant is remarkably easy to cultivate, growing very 
readily from seed of which it produces a great abundance. The” seeds 
are sown in nursery beds, after the red pulp, has been washed off them 
and germinate in twelve days. The young plants are planted out in 
fairly good soil at about the distance of six feet apart. They will grow 
almost any where but stiff clay soil exposed to hot sun seems to suit 
them best. The bushes grow for many years, before they need renew- 
ing and can be pruned or cut back without injury. So easily and rapidly 
is it grown that it is found quite suitable to make low light hedges in 
the gardens, its bright green foliage and little red fruit making it quite 
attractive. 
There are it appears several varieties of Erythroybn coea. One of 
which beside tiie one referred to here was formerly cultivated in the 
Botanic Cardens, the variety Aoi’o (jvciucitcuse. This has more si)read- 
ing branches, smaller obovate leaves, with a rounded top, and a short 
point projecting from the tip. This does not seem to have done so 
well here, and has disappeared, 
