■ "ì
ïr “fr
Cinchona Pitayensis must also be referred to C. officinalis as a
variety. This attains a height of 60 feet and furnishes also a
portion of the Pitaya-bark. I t is this particular cinchona, which
in Upper India yielded in some instances the very large quantity
of 11 per cent, alkaloids, nearly 6 per cent, quinin, the rest
quinidin and cinchonin ; this plant is now annihilated for bark-
purposes in its native forests.
Cinchonas raised from seeds provided by the writer of this work,
have withstood the slight frosts at San Francisco [G. P . Rixford].
Tlie Uritusinga- or Loxa-variety grows in its native forests to a
height of 60 feet and more [Pavon] and attained in Ceylon in fifteen
years a height of 28 feet, with a stem-girth of nearly 2 feet. The
price of its bark in 1879 was about 7s. per lb., and of renewed bark
11s. Mr. Molvor obtained 6,850 cuttings from one imported plant
in twenty months ; but all Cinchonse produce seeds copiously, so that
the raising of great numbers of plants can be effected with remarkable
facility. The bark has yielded 7'4 to lO'O per cent, sulphate of
quinin [Howard].
In J a v a some of the best results were obtained with Cinchona
Hasskarliana, Miq., a species seemingly as yet not critically identified.
Cinchona-seeds do not long retain their vitality; but as they are so
very light, no difficulty exists in sending them speedily even to
widely distant places.
C in c h o n a s u c o i r u b r a , Pavon.*
Middle Andine regions of Peru and Ecuador. A tree, attaining a
height of 40 feet, yielding the Red Peru-bark, rich in cinchonin and
cinchonidin. I t is this species, which is predominantly cultivated on
the mountains of Bengal. In India it thrives a t lower elevations
than other Cinchonas, proves of quicker growth, and there tlie mixed
cheap Cinchona-alkaloids forming the “ Quinettum ” are largely
derived from this plant [G. King, J . S. Gamble], I t has been found
hardy iu Lower Gippsland and the Westernport-district of Victoria.
I t grew in Madeira a t an elevation of 500 feet, after having been
planted two and a half years, to a height of 20 feet, flowering freely
also. All these Cinchonas promise to become of importance for
culture iu the warmest regions of extra-tropical countries, on places
not readily accessible or eligible for cereal culture. The Peruvian
proverb, th a t Cinchona-trees like to be “ within sight of snow,” gives
some clue to the conditions under which they thrive best. They
delight in the shelter of forests, where there is an equable temperature,
no frost, some humidity a t all times both in air and soil, where
the ground is deep and largely consists of the remnants of decayed
vegetable substances, and where the subsoil is open. Drippage from
shelter-trees too near will be hurtful to tlie plants. Closed valleys
and deep gorges, into which cold air will sink, are also not well
adapted for Cinchona-cnlture. The Cinchona-region may be regarded
as inter-jacent between the coffee- and the tea-region, or
nearly coinciding with th a t of the Assam-tea. Cross found the
temperature of some of the best natural Cinchona-regions to fluctuate
between 35° and 60° F. We here ought to consociate the Peru-bark
plants with naturally growing fern-trees, but only in the warmest
valleys and richest soil. The best temperature for Cinchonas is from
53° to 66° P .; but for the most part they will endure in open places
a minimum of 32° F .; in the brush-shades of the Botanic Garden of
Melbourne, where already many years ago Cinchonas were raised by
the thousands, they have even resisted uninjured a temperature of a
few degrees less, wherever the wind had no access, while under such
very slight cover the Cinchonas withstood also a heat of a few degrees
over 100° F.
The plants are most easily raised from seed, best under some cover
such as mats ; they produce seeds copiously some years after planting.
C. sucoirubra, first introduced into California by the writer of this
work together with the principal other species, thrives well in the
lower ooast-ranges as far north as San Francisco ; better indeed than
C. Calisaya, according to Dr. Herman Behr. The quantity of alk aloids
in the bark can be much increased by artificial treatment, if the
bark is only removed to about one-third on one side of the stem and
the denuded part covered with moss or straw-matting (kept moist),
under which in one year as much bark is formed as otherwise requires
three years’ growth—such forced bark moreover containing the
astounding quantity of 25 per cent, alkaloids, because no loss of
these precious substances takes place by gradual disintegration
through age. The root-bark of some Cinchonas has proved to contain
as much as 8 per cent, of alkaloids (see Gardeners’ Chronicle, 1877,
p. 212). The income from Java-plantations is considerably over
double the cost of the expenses of culture and transit, Mr. Howard’s
opinion, th a t Cinchonas in lowland-plantations produce a far less
quantity of alkaloids, needs further confirmation, particularly regarding
the valuable quinin and cinchonidin ; probably however geologic
conditions have in all instances to be taken into account also.
Yonng Cinchona-plants are set out at distances of about 6 feet.
The harvest of bark begins in the fourth or fifth year. The price
varies in Europe from 2s. to 9s. per lb. according to quality. The
limits assigned to this literary compilation do not admit of entering
further into details on this occasion ; but I may add, th a t iu the
Darjeeling-district over three millions of Cinchona-plants were already
in cultivation during 1869 in Government-plantations. Cultivation
of Cinchona for commercial purposes was first initiated in J a v a
through Dr. Hasskarl in 1851 at the suggestion and under the
direction of Professor Miquel ; but 240,000 lbs. of bark were already
exported from this island in 1880. The British harvest in the
Madras-Presidenoy alone amounted to 150,000 lbs. in 1875. Brigade-
Surgeoii Dr. G. King reports in 1880, th a t four million trees of
Cinchona sucoirubra are now under his control in the Sikkim-planta-
tions. This has proved the hardiest species ; it grows under a wide
range of conditions and seeds freely ; thus it is the most valuable
s