38  Cultivation  of  Cinchona  in  Bolivia.  {^'^'AT\%lb'''"'' 
CULTIVATION  OF  CINCHONA  IN  BOLIVIA.^ 
By  Minister  Gibes,  of  La  Paz. 
I  have  devoted  some  time  and  attention  to  acquire  data  and  informa- 
tion relative  to  the  next  important  article,  cinchona  bark,  or  quina,  of 
which  large  quantities  are  exported  yearly.  Formerly  it  was  gathered 
by  the  Indians,  and  in  such  a  manner  that  large  forests  were  destroyed^ 
trees  cut  down,  the  bark  taken  in  any  way  merely  to  make  up  large 
quantities ;  to-day  the  quina  plantations,  or,  as  they  are  called  here, 
quinales,  are  cultivated  and  nourished  with  care  and  agricultural 
science,  the  principal  planters  being  Germans,  one,  Mr.  Otto  Richter, 
possessing  two  million  plants;  the  estate  of  Mr.  John  Kraft,  a  Hol- 
lander, lately  deceased,  two  million. 
The  cultivation  of  quina  in  plantations,  systematically,  has  been 
carried  on  for  about  seven  years,  hardly  long  enough  to  show  all  the 
advantages,  as  there  is  room  for  much  study  and  improvement. 
Mapire,  about  sixty  leagues  north  of  this  place,  or  about  five  days' 
journey,  has  under  cultivation  about  four  million  five  hundred  thousand 
plants ;  Longa,  northeast  of  this  city  about  twenty  leagues,  five  hun- 
dred thousand  plants ;  Yungas,  east  northeast  twenty  leagues,  one 
million  plants  ;  Guanay,  east  of  Mapire,  five  hundred  thousand  plants; 
total,  six  million  five  hundred  thousand  plants. 
Where  the  principal  quinales  are  it  is  a  very  rough  and  broken 
country,  the  Andes  being  seamed  and  cut  into  deep  valleys  in  every 
direction.  The  trees  are  planted  on  the  sides  of  the  valleys  or  ridges 
in  altitudes  of  about  3,000  to  4,000  feet  above  the  sea.  They  will 
grow  higher  up,  even  to  8,000  feet,  but  are  stunted,  and  will  give  little 
or  nothing  of  what  is  called  here  the  quina  salt.  The  plants  want  a 
great  deal  of  sun,  heavy  rains  and  fresh  winds. 
I  have  conversed  with  three  of  the  principal  superintendents  of  the 
large  quina  plantations,  all  Germans,  and  they  say  that  the  cultivation 
of  quina  is  yet  in  its  infancy,  and  there  will  be  many  improvements 
through  time  and  experience. 
A  tree  will  give  from  fifteen  to  twenty  pounds  of  seed.  The  seed 
is  collected  in  November  and  December  (the  early  summer  months 
here),  and  planted  very  thickly  in  boxes  or  beds  about  twelve  feet  in 
length  and  three  feet  in  breadth,  and  placed  on  a  slight  decline  or  fall 
^  From  the  Independent  Journal. 
