NOTES FROM NEWCASTLE. 
159 
Mr. Cross gives the following account of Cinchona Condaminea (var. o. 
■vera ?) : 
“ The C. Condaminea is a slender-growing tree, from 20 to 30 feet in height, and 
from 8 to 10 inches in diameter at the base. But few trees are to be seen of these di¬ 
mensions. The plants from which the bark of commerce is now taken are, in general, not 
more than 8 to 10 feet in height. When the plants are cut down, three or four young 
shoots or suckers in general spring up; but this does not always happen, as some of the 
more industrious cascarilleros frequently pull up the roots and bark them also. The 
bark is taken from the smallest twigs ; thus the annual growths are sometimes taken, 
especially if they are strong. The plants are sometimes found growing in little clumps, 
and sometimes solitary, but always in dry situations. The temperature of the cinchona 
region ranges from 34° to 70° F.; it seldom however, falls below 40° and rarely rises 
above 65°. The general range of the temperature is from 45° to 60° F. 
Another and important source whence seeds and plants of cinchona have been 
introduced into British India, has been Java, in which island, as is well known, 
the earliest attempts to cultivate the tree were made under the auspices of the 
Dutch Government. The plants of Cinchona Calisaya which were collected in 
Peru, having been exposed to intense heat during their transit down the Red 
Sea and subsequent detention at Bombay, suffered an amount of injury, from 
which no nursing would restore them ; and though in the hands of Mr. Mclvor 
of Ootacamund, who has since shown himself to be the most skilful cultivator 
of cinchona, every plant ultimately perished,—a loss which rendered apparent 
the wisdom of Mr. Markham’s suggestion that the introduction of the cinchona 
should not be allowed to depend upon the success of a single importation. At 
this juncture, a correspondence was entered into with the Governor-General of 
Netherlands India, which resulted in the liberal offer of a supply of plants of 
Cinchona Calisaya , to receive which and to inspect the plantations in Java, Dr. 
Anderson of Calcutta was dispatched to Batavia. He returned in November 
1861, bringing with him seven Wardian cases, containing 412 young and healthy 
plants of Cinchona Calisaya , C. Pahudiana , and C. lancifolia , besides 400,000 
seeds. 
The chief cinchona plantations in India are on the slopes of the Neilgherries 
in the Madras Presidency, where the climate and soil bear a close resemblance 
to those of the Andes. Cinchona-cultivation has also been commenced at Dar¬ 
jeeling in British Sikhim, where 1611 plants were growing on the 1st August, 
1862 ; it is also being carried on with success in Ceylon, where many hundreds 
of plants are progressing satisfactorily under the care of Mr. Thwaites, director 
of the Royal Botanic Garden at Peradenia : of each undertaking the Parliamen¬ 
tary Return contains full reports. There is also a prospect of the cultivation 
being speedily commenced in other parts of India. Cinchona plantations have 
likewise been established in Jamaica and Trinidad. 
The French Government has likewise taken in hand a project for cinchona- 
culture in Algeria, for which purpose a grant of from 200 to 300 young plants 
has been made from the Royal Gardens at Kevv. 
NOTES FROM NEWCASTLE. 
BY S. GALE, F.C.S. 
A marked feature in the visit of the British Association to Newcastle was 
the liberality with which the manufacturers threw open their works for the in¬ 
spection of the members. Among the most interesting of these works were 
those of Aluminium at Washington, belonging to I. Lothian Bell, Esq., the 
present Mayor of Newcastle. 
Aluminium .—The properties of aluminium were first invest igated by Wohler, 
n 2 
