OBSERVATIONS ON OUR KNO’^VLEDGE OF THE GENUS CINCHONA. 13 
such mixed parcels of bark, falls below that of the genuine tree; but ]\Ir. Howard 
has satisfied himself, by the examination of carefully chosen specimens of Cali- 
saya, of the existence of alkaloid equal to five per cent,, and in one or two spe¬ 
cimens even seven or eight parts in a hundred, of sulphate of quinine. This is 
more than double the product assigned by the late hi. Delondre, whose ‘ Qiiino- 
logie ’ he regards as a very valuable repository of knowledge, although (as is 
always the case) subject to some little correction. 
The average produce of Calisaya bark in quinine,^' though falling very far short 
of the exceptionally fine specimens before mentioned, is still considerably above 
that obtained by M. Delondre, and the product in cinchonine less by two-thirds 
than he states, only it may be that he includes the cinchonidine in the same 
category. These observations seem of importance in reference to the cultivation 
of the species in India. It must not be supposed that the large products ob¬ 
tained by Dr. De Vrij and Mr. Howard from the Cinchona succirubra grown 
by MTvor, are the measure of the superiority of this species over the Calisaya. 
In the writer’s opinion, the reverse is the truth, and though, from some cause, 
equal success has not been attained with the latter in the East Indies, he does 
not at all despair of seeing the Calisaya reassume there its rightful supremacy 
as the queen of all quinine-growing species. 
He is the more confirmed in this hope, because the Calisaya, though found so 
delicate in India, is growing luxuriantly under double glass in Mr. Howard’s 
stoves,—one raised from seed sent by Sir R. Murchison to Kew in May, 18C4,t 
two or three inches in height when first planted out in October, 1864,—having, 
in little more than two years, attained an elevation of more than seven feet, and 
spreading in every direction. 
i\Ir. Markham says,j; “ The C. Calisaya^ the most famous of all the South 
American bark trees, and which, in its native forests, is alike the most beautiful 
and the richest in quinine, has not been a success in India. I was grieved to 
see the plants of this species only five feet ten inches high, and six and a half 
inches in girth, at an age of three years, while their stunted and shrubby ap¬ 
pearance, with dim coloured leaves, is as different as possible from the glorious 
Calisaya of the Caravayan forests.” 
IMr. Howard is endeavouring, in correspondence with Mr. MTvor, to ascertain 
the occasion of this contrast. It is not impossible that something may be due 
to the different effect of light passing twice through glass, by which means, a 
large portion of the actinic power (about half, as ascertained by photographic 
effects) is arrested. Mr. IMarkham says,§ that in a position which he examined 
“exposed to the fall glare oi the sun, there was a profusion of 
and no Cinchonsef for “the latter evidently dislike very exposed situations;” 
and again he says, “ the Calisaya avoids the banks of a river, never being found 
within several hundred feet of it; it prefers the steepest declivities of the moun¬ 
tain sides, and a great deal, thouglt not too much shade.” Mr. Markham speaks 
of “ a locality well adapted for the growth of the Calisaya,” where young plants 
receive shade from taller trees, while they also enjoy plenty of sunshine through 
the spreading branches.” Perhaps this has not been sufficiently attended to in 
India. 
It is ^further evident that there are very distinct varieties of the Calisaya, 
* Not contained in the bark as Sulphate, as Delondre and Bouchardat’s work might lead 
the reader to suppose. 
1 Dr. Hooker obligingly traced out the history of this plant by application to Sir B. 
Murchison, who says, “ The cinchona seeds I sent you in 1864 were brought home by Mr. 
David Forbes, a great explorer of the Peruvian and Chilian Andes. I know that he attached 
some value to these seeds, which he told me were from trees of the v(iy first quality in their 
bark and fructification.” 
1 In letter to the Under-Secretarj* * * § , etc., 16th January, 1866. 
§ Letter to the Undor-Secrctary for India, June 9th, 1860. 
