522 
THE GARDENING WORLD, 
April 16, 1898, 
the ferment fungus has permeated them, when they 
may be dried and stored for future use. It is a 
matter of common belief among all the tribes that 
whoever makes these cakes will be ever after afflicted 
with sterility, so only women beyond a certain age will 
make them- I do not suppose there is any real 
foundation for this idea, but in dealing with Eastern 
people it is always wise to respect their little 
prejudices and superstitions. 
The second plan to be described was a very simple 
one, and inexpensive to work, but unfortunately, 
like the last, missed a large proportion of the alka¬ 
loids. For a good many years, however, it did good, 
useful work, while 'a better was being devised. It 
was never used in the manufacture of sulphate of 
quinine, but only for.making the medicine known in 
India as Cinchona febrifuge, which is a mixture of 
the whole of the alkaloids, both amorphous and 
crystallisable, found in the red bark. It is not so 
elegant a preparation as sulphate of quinine, but is 
an excellent substitute for it in malarial fevers. In 
fact, some of. the best Indian doctors prefer it. 
For some years it was sold at less than quarter 
quinine rates, and was a great boon to poor people. 
In making it the powered bark was repeatedly 
macerated in wooden tubs, with very dilute muriatic 
acid, for a few days at a time, and the resulting liquors 
mixed with a solution of caustic soda to precipitate 
the alkaloids they had dissolved out of the bark. 
After standing twenty-four hours, the precipitate was 
collected on filters, purified, dried, and powdered, 
which completed the operation. 
The third process is the one now in operation in 
the East. It was started at the Bengal plantations 
in 1885, and at Madras a year or two later. Now it 
is being adopted by the Dutch in Java. It is a satis¬ 
factory process, as it completely exhausts the bark, 
and is not very expensive to work. The bark is re¬ 
duced to an almost impalpable powder by means of 
disintegrators driven at a high speed by water tur¬ 
bines. The powder is then mixed with water, 
caustic soda, and shale-oil: heated by steam-coils to 
about 160 0 Fahrenheit, and kept constantly stirred 
by machinery for about an hour, when the stirring 
is stopped and the mixture allowed to rest quietly 
for an hour or two to let the oil—now containing the 
alkaloids—rise clear and bright to the top. The oil 
is then transferred to another vessel and thoroughly 
stirred up for a few minutes with sufficient dilute sul¬ 
phuric acid to remove the whole of the alkaloids from 
it. After separation, by repose, the oil is drawn off 
for the next batch of bark, and the acidulated liquor, 
now containing the alkaloids in solution, is heated in 
steam-jacketed vessels, neutralised with a weak solu¬ 
tion of caustic soda or ammonia, and set aside to 
cool and crystallise. To purify the crystals thus ob¬ 
tained they are collected, squeezed, redissolved in 
boiling water, digested for a few minutes with a 
little animal charcoal, filtered very hot, and allowed 
to cool, when the sulphate of quinine crystallises out 
quite white and clean. 
How to get the quinine to the very poorest in the 
outlying fever districts of Bengal at the lowest 
possib'e price, without burdening the public 
revenues, was an anxious question till the happy 
thought occurred to Sir Chas. Elliott, late Lieut.- 
Gov. of Bengdl, to make use of the Post Office 
Department for this purpose. He ordered the 
quinine to be put up in sealed packets of five grains 
each, an ordinary dose, by jail labour, and sent to 
every outlying post-office in Bengal for sale at the 
low price per packet of one pice, which is the lowest 
coin in ordinary circulation in Bengal, and of the 
value of about a farthing. Not only is a stock of 
these packets kept at all the post-offices, but the 
postmen Who visit the outlying hamlets have to 
carry them in their bags, and sell to anyone who 
may ask for them. The postmasters and postmen 
get a small commission on the sale. A better or 
cheaper plan of distribution I cannot conceive, and 
the Italian Government have paid the India Govern¬ 
ment the compliment to adopt it for part of Italy. 
Sulphate of quinine, quite equal in quantity to the 
very best brands in the market, is now turned out 
by the Government, at the Bengal factory alone, at 
the rate of about t,000lb. a month. Not many years 
ago, the annual quinine indent of the Government of 
Bengal was less than this monthly output. Madras 
will soon be turning out as much as Bengal, and 
perhaps more. So the Government can take credit 
for freely accomplishing the task they set themselves 
when introducing the Cinchonas to India, as I trust 
I have proved to you without trying your patience 
over much. 
-- 
©leanings Jtymt f fte 
New Fossil Plant in Hampshire. At the 
meeting of the Linnean Society on the 17th ult., 
Mr. Clement Reid, F.LS., read a paper on 
Limnocarpus, a new genus of Fossil Plants from the 
Tertiary deposits of Hampshire. This new genus 
occurs in the Oligocene Strata of the Isle of Wight 
and the Hampshire coast It is closely allied to 
Potamogeton and to Ruppia, but has a succulent 
fruit with two, deeply-pitted, stalked carpels 
adhering by their ventral edges. The seed is curved 
round a lateral process from the cell, as in the pond- 
weeds. So few Tertiary plants can be proved to 
belong to extinct generic types, that the discovery of 
this one is of interest. Though clearly allied to the 
recent pond-weeds, the inclusion of Limnocarpus 
will necessitate a modification of the ordinal charac¬ 
ters. The paper was favourably criticised by Mr. 
Carruthers, F.R.S. 
Mimetic Resemblance.— Prof. E. B. Poulton, 
F.R.S., F.L.S., read a paper entitled "Natural 
Selection the cause of Mimetic Resemblance and 
Common Warning Colours" at a meeting of the 
Linnean Society on March 17th. He remarked 
that the recent attacks upon the theory of natural 
selection as the explanation of the above-mentioned 
phenomena render it necessary to reconsider the 
whole of the evidence. Alternative hypotheses 
offered in explanation are—(1) the common result of 
common forces in a single region; (2) evolution pro¬ 
ducing the same result independently in different 
animals; (3) sexual selection. The main general 
aspects of mimicry, &c., their relation to kindred 
subjects, the most characteristic features which they 
present, are therefore to be considered in succession, 
and the attempt made to ascertain whether they best 
receive an explanation from natural selection or any 
one of the alternative suggestions. 
The chief heads to be considered are : (1) The 
relation of these resemblances to others which occur 
in Nature. (2) The relation of these resemblances 
between Classes and Orders to those within the 
limits of a single Order. (3) Resemblances within 
the Order entirely independent of affinity. (4) Re¬ 
semblances not accompanied by any changes in the 
direction of another species except such as assist in 
producing or strengthening a superficial likeness. 
(5) Essential nature of the resemblance : its analysis 
into the several kinds of effect produced. (6) The 
forces which act in any animal depend more upon its 
life-history than upon its locality. Different animals 
in the same locality are frequently subject to entirely 
different forces. (7) Resemblances more charac¬ 
teristic of female than male. (8) The space and time 
relationships of these resemblances. (9) Resem¬ 
blances between various Orders, etc., produced in 
the most diverse ways. (10) Resemblances even 
within the limits of the Order also produced in the 
most diverse ways. (11) The unproved, improbable 
hypothesis of the hereditary transmission of acquired 
characters demanded by the theory of the direct 
action of external causes. 
The discussion of cases under each of these main 
heads leads to the conclusion that no help is to be 
derived from any alternative hypothesis, while 
natural selection in every case offers an intelligible 
explanation of the known facts. The conclusion to 
be drawn is that the recent attacks upon natural 
selection are not warranted by the facts at present 
known. A discussion followed in which Col. 
Swinhoe, F.L.S., and Prof. Weldon, F.R.S., F.L.S., 
took part. 
-—- 
Tlie Orctiifl Grower’s calendar. 
With the advent of something like spring weather it 
is possible to keep the temperature up to the required 
height without having to fire very hard. This 
enables us to admit air more freely than hitherto, 
and an increasing supply of moisture in the air, 
brought about by frequent syringings between the 
pots induces a free root action with a corresponding 
reaction amongst the plants ; for the flower buds of 
Cattleya Mendelli come popping up through the 
sheaths, and will be soon making a brave show. 
The Syringing or damping down, which is, in 
conjunction with fresh air and light, so essential for 
the successful culture of Orchids, must be carefully 
done at this season, so that none lodges in the hearts 
of partially made-up growths. Cattleya labiata 
Warnerii I may instance as being in this stage, and 
it would suffer if not looked after in this respect. 
Potting.— Push along with the work, giving a 
shift to all plants that to the eye appear to require 
it, the exception, of course, being those plants that 
are in bloom or fast approaching that stage. These 
may be left until the flowers fade or are cut. 
Plants of Laelia purpurata that have not 
sheathed up well, may be done now with advantage, 
for it will be observed that the newly made-up 
pseudo-bulbs are pushing some fine large roots. L. 
elegans may be also attended to, for if left until after 
the flowering stage, the season is too far advanced to 
repot, and you have to be content with simply top- 
dressiDg it. A golden rule is to repot or add some 
fresh material for the new roots to take hold of when 
they appear. If attention is paid to this, we should 
have little cause to ask the question " Do Orchids 
degenerate ? ’’ That is, of course, providing proper 
houses and efficient hot-water appliances are at 
hand. 
Angraecum sesquipedale. —The spring-flower¬ 
ing variety of this wonderful Orchid is just now de¬ 
lighting all visitors with its great waxy flowers and 
curious appendages. We grow ours comparatively 
cool, that is, with the Cattleyas. Here they make 
short, broad leaves, which are much thicker in 
texture than when grown warm and shady. 
Cool House.— I notice the beautiful autumn¬ 
flowering Oncidium tigrinum is just commencing to 
grow, and should be repotted at once, as the spikes 
appear with the young growths, so that they must 
be taken in hand early. To keep these in good 
health for long it is necessary that they should have 
some fresh material each season. If treated thus 
the foliage will always remain a deep green colour, 
so indicative of good condition. As the roots are 
small pot firmly. O. macranthum is a very fine 
Orchid, which, if the spikes are not too far advanced, 
will be greatly benefited by some fresh material. 
We find they do not like their roots confined too 
much, and neither must the material be pressed 
about them too firmly. They like moss rather than 
peat.—C. 
Kitctien Garden Calendar. 
Work of all kinds in this department is now very 
pressing, for during favourable weather everything 
grows apace. Old plantations of Strawberries 
should have a top-dressing of artificial manure. The 
ground between the plants ought then to be hoed 
that any small weeds may be destroyed, taking care 
in doing so not to injure the roots of the plants. Any 
old stools that have become somewhat raised out of 
the soil will be greatly benefited by having a top¬ 
dressing of light, rich soil placed about them, that the 
young roots may the more readily take hold. So far 
the prospects of a crop are good, the winter not hav- 
having been severe enough to do any injury to the 
crowns. Asparagus beds will be greatly benefited 
by an application of artificial manure to be washed in 
by the rains. It is not advisable to water at present, 
as this has a tendency to cool the soil, and thus 
retard growth. See that the beds are kept free from 
weeds, but care must be observed not to injure the 
crowns of the plants. 
Planting out of such things as Onions, Leeks, 
Cauliflower, Lettuce, and other vegetables that were 
raised under glass should now be pushed forward 
with all possible speed, taking care in doing so not to 
injure the plants more than can be avoided. When 
plants are some time in making a start into growth 
after being put out, this is a sign that the work has 
not been done in a satisfactory manner. Either the 
soil has not been pressed firmly to their roots or the 
plants have been hung, as it is termed, that is, 
instead of filling in the hollow at the tips of the 
roots the soil has been pressed round the collar of 
the plants. In planting from the seed bed great care 
is necessary to avoid making the holes too deep with 
the dibber, for when this happens the holes are sel¬ 
dom filled in properly. 
Broccoli seed should be sown towards the end of 
