August 6,1870.] 
THE PHARMACEUTICAL JOURNAL AND TRANSACTIONS. 
109 
REPORT ON CINCHONA CULTIVATION IN BENGAL. 
From C. B. Clarke, Esq., M.A., Officiating Superinten¬ 
dent, Botanic Garden , and in charge of Cinchona cultiva¬ 
tion in Bengal, to the Secretary to the Government of 
Bengal ,— (No. 188, dated Botanic Garden , Calcutta , the 
29t)i April , 1870). 
Sir,—I beg leave to submit the annual report on the 
cultivation of Cinchona in Bengal for the year ending 
31st March, 1870. 
2. The three species of cinchona of which the cultiva¬ 
tion has been extended during the year are C. succirubra, 
C. officinalis , and C. calisaya. 
The number of plants of these species in permanent 
plantations were as under:— 
C. succirubra. 
C. officinalis. 
C. calisaya. 
March 31,1869 
615,730 
312,719 
220 
March 31,1870 
1,055,100 
406,899 
4,000 
Increase 
439,370 
94,180 
3,780 
3. The increase of permanent plantation of C. succi¬ 
rubra and C. calisaya has been made about Rishap at an 
elevation of 2500 feet; the increase of C. officinalis at 
Rungbee at an elevation of about 4500 feet. 
4. The average growth for the year of the ten mea¬ 
sured plants of C. succirubra planted in March, 1867, at 
Rishap, has been 51 inches, which fairly represents the 
satisfactory general growth of the C. succirubra planta¬ 
tions. 
5. The average growth for the year of the ten mea¬ 
sured plants of C. officinalis planted in October, 1864, at 
Rungbee, has been 12 inches, which fairly represents the 
unsatisfactory general growth of the C. officinalis planta¬ 
tions. 
6. The average growth for the year of the ten mea¬ 
sured plants of C. calisaya planted in June, 1867, at 
Rishap, has been 52 inches, which represents the average 
growth of all the plants in the plantation catalogued as 
C. calisaya. But several important varieties are included 
under the name C. calisaya , and the tree variety raised 
by seed in February, 1867, and planted out in June, 
1867, has attained a height of 12 feet in October, 1869, 
and a tree of this age, lately cut down, has produced 
two pounds of dry bark. 
7. As fully explained by Dr. T. Anderson in his 
annual cinchona report in Bengal for the year ending 
31st March, 1868, the exceeding steepness of the hills, 
combined with the large rainfall, prevents any tilth on 
these cinchona plantations. The grass and low jungle 
having been cut close, the young cinchona plants are 
planted out in the permanent plantations. The weeds 
having been merely headed down, not eradicated, grow 
with great strength in a moist and warm climate, and 
continual scouring of the young plantations is necessary. 
This is the chief expense under thissystemofcultivation. 
8. C. succirubra and C. calisaya (tree variety) grow so 
freely, that by the third year the young trees in the 
plantations are all locked; they then crush the jungle 
beneath them, and can take care of themselves, and 
little further expense upon them is called for. 
9. But C. officinalis shows no inclination to become a 
tree at these plantations; it remains a shrub with very 
scanty foliage, and even on the plantations which are 
five years old, there continues the same expenditure in 
scouring. 
10. C. succirubra and C. calisaya are planted about 
1200 to the acre ; C. officinalis about 4000 to the acre. 
11. In the fifth year of growth in permanent planta¬ 
tion an acre of C. officinalis carries less than one-fourth 
the bark carried by an acre of C. succirubra , and costs 
more than four times as much annual expenditure. 
Moreover, the C. officinalis then appears disinclined to 
grow much larger, whereas C. succirubra will clearly 
grow into a considerable tree. 
12. I calculate that at present it has not been disco¬ 
vered how to grow C. officinalis to economic profit at 
Rungbee. I therefore stopped its extension in Septem¬ 
ber last, though I was aware of the high quality of the 
grey bark. The present quantity is large for an experi¬ 
ment ; and, as an experiment, a few acres of C. officinalis 
were planted in September last at a somewhat higher 
level (5000 feet) than the main plantation. Also, in all 
the C. officinalis plantations below the level of 4000 feet 
(above which level C. succirubra does not thrive), C. succi- 
rubra has been planted between the ranks of C. officinalis , 
and will, doubtless, soon overgrow it. 
13. The propagation and extension of C. calisaya has 
been pushed as fast as possible. There is no difficulty 
in multiplying C. succirubra and C. officinalis by cuttings, 
but at Rishap there is found the greatest difficulty and 
uncertainty in multiplying C. calisaya by cuttings. 
Herr von G-orkom, the Director of the Dutch Govern¬ 
ment cinchona cultivation in Java, informs me that 
there the same difficulty with C. calisaya is found; but, 
on the other hand, Mr. M‘Ivor, in the drier climate of 
the Nilgherries, says cuttings strike with perfect success. 
14. Herr von Gorkom has sent me on several occa¬ 
sions most valuable packets of C. calisaya seed, which 
germinated excellently; but if it could be discovered 
how to grow G. calisaya by cuttings, I should greatly 
prefer that method, as by it I am sure of getting exactly 
the variety which I wish to propagate. Mr. MTvor is 
of opinion, that not merely do the varieties cross freely, 
but that many hybrids are formed from different species 
of cinchona. 
15. The most valuable bark known in the European 
market is the C. calisaya bark; this species grows ad¬ 
mirably at Rishap, and, during the past year, propaga¬ 
tion has been almost entirely confined to it. In growing 
for profit, I believe it will ultimately be found advisable 
to grow one or two species only on these plantations; 
and that it is best to discard a species at once which is 
clearly inferior with us to C. calisaya and C. succirubra. 
16. I have lately brought from the Nilgherries two 
new kinds of cinchona, one provisionally named G. 
mirabilis, of Mr. Broughton, the other G. pitayo. In G. 
mirabilis the bark contains the astonishing quantity of 
13£ per cent, of quinine alkaloid, and more than 9 per 
cent, of crystallizable quinine. G. pitayo is a rich bark 
from Peru, a very high-level species, said to be found 
growing through the snow. 
17. During the year both C. succirubra and C. officinalis 
ripened seeds; 5f ounces of the former and 5i ounces of 
the latter were' distributed. One ounce of seed will 
raise nearly 50,000 plants. 
18. There were distributed from Rungbee during the 
past financial year cinchona plants as under:— 
C. succi¬ 
rubra. 
C. cali¬ 
saya. 
C. offici¬ 
nalis. 
Mr. Werniche, Ivursiong .. 
2500 
50 
• « 
Dr. Jameson, Saharunpore . 
1500 
260 
500 
Mr. Robson, Tukvar. 
• • 
200 
• • 
Col. Strutt, Kangra Valley . 
• • 
12 
• • 
Total . 
4000 
522 
500 
19. The amount of propagation having been greatly 
reduced, a considerable number of the old frames and 
glass were sold. The receipts for the past year of the 
cinchona plantation paid into the Darjeeling treasury 
were as under :— 
Rs. As. P. 
Rent from land let. 1130 0 0 
Price of a wardian case.. 10 0 0 
Sale of cinchona plants. 156 4 0 
Sale of old glass. 187 8 0 
Total. 1483 12 0 
