In Ceylon, cinchona is exciting an attention second only to coffee, and is being largely grown in combination with that staple. Red bark flourishes at 2000-4500 ft.; yellow, and crown, at 4000 ft. and upwards. The last-named is recommended as a break-wind for coffee—a piece of advice that does little credit to its author. The island exported 95,000 lb. of bark between Oct. 1, 1878, and April 8, 1879.
Cinchoua cultivation promises to confer great benefits upon the W. Indies. The plants of C. offici nails, C. succirubra, and C. Calisaya thrive eminently well in Jamaica, reaching, iu 8 years, a height of about 30 ft. The enterprise is now an established agricultural industry. The plants are best placed at about 12 ft. apart, or 300 to the acre. The Government plantations yielded, in 1877, some 3000 lb. of merchantable bark. The mountains of St. Andrew, and a great portion of the Blue Mountain range, offer suitable sites. It is probable that C. officinalis will be superseded by the other species. In Dominica, the flanks of the Couliabon range are said to afford a district where the con ditions of climate, elevation, and soil appear to be peculiarly favourable.
Efforts have for some time past been made by the United States Government, to introduce Cinchona into some of the S. States, notably Florida and California. Hitherto, the exigencies of climate have proved an invincible drawback ; but it is said that the district of San Diego, in California, offers fair promise of success.
In Java, the cultivation of several species is very largely carried on, principally by the Dutch Government. The plantations aro chiefly in the Preanger Residency, at elevations of 4000-6000 ft., where the mean temperature is about 16°-18° (60°-65° F.); but the experiment ie also being made in the Pamereean Residency, and in Sumatra. Some 2000 acres are occupied by tho Government gardens, which contain over two million trees, principally Calisaya and Ilasharliana. The harvesting of the bark is performed chiefly by the messing system ; coppiciug and uprooting are not unknown. Lately. the plants have suffered much from attacks of Heliopeliis theivora, a hemipterous limed which dovoura the tea-plant. Its ravages are most serious on low-lying ground ; above 3000 ft., it is rare ; above 6000 ft., it is harmless.
The cultivation has also been extended to Bourbon, Mauritius, St. Helena, Guadaloupe, Brazil, the Azores, Algeria, &o. St. Helena contained 4000 plants in 1870, all in a very promising condi tion. In British Honduras and Jamaica, the trees flourish remarkably well.
Commerce.—The imports of the bark into the United Kingdom, in 1878, were as follows :—
From New Granada (Colombia), 21,719 owt., value 362,433/.; Peru, 12,022 cwt., value 184,9491.; Ecuador, 8926 cwt., value 151,0751. ; British E. Indies, 4597 cwt., value 75,299/. ; France, 1818 owt., value 22,0961. ; United States, 1095 cwt., value 15,5151.; Chili, 1057 cwt., value 12,8481. ; Germany, 1023 owt., value 15,9311. ; Danish W. Indies, 800 cwt., value 13,4401. ; Central America, 336 cwt , value 6461/. ; other countries, 493 cwt., value 73291. Our exports in the same year were :—To France, 18,935 owt., value 281,6151. ; Holland, 15,431 cwt., value 267,3051.; United States, 3555 owt., value 39,0441.; Germany, 2760 cwt., value 34,8831.; Italy, 1524 cwt., value 18,0071. ; other countries, 576 owt., value 69231.
The produoe of Ecuador, together with a considerable quantity of Pitayo bark, imported from the Bay of Chaco, is shipped principally from Guayaquil. In 1878, the export amounted to 19,800 quintals (of nearly 2 each), and was valued at 59,400/. The distribution was as follows : —To the United States, 9243 quiutala ; England, 9115 ; other European countries, 1412. Li 1877, the total export was but 9882 quintal°. The barks of Central Peru, from Huanuco to Cusco, find an outlet through Callao; those from N. Peru, through Payta. The valuable produce of Carabaya and the high valleys of Bolivia, is shipped principally at Arica. Occasionally also Bolivian and Peruvian barks find their way across the continent, and are despatched to Europe from a Brazilian port. The Colombian (New Granada) barks are exported from Saute Marta and Savanilla ; the latter port despatched nearly 2000 tons in 1877, and the whole State exported nearly 3500 tons in the same time. Much of the Santander bark goes down to Maracaibo, and takes the name of that place. Some Venezuelan bark leaves Puerto Cabello. The S. American barks are almost invariably found to consist of inferior kinds, mixed in variable proportions with those of better quality. Hence chemical analysis is requisite in order to determine their value. The barks richest in quinine are generally bought up by manufacturers of quinine sulphate, the inferior samples finding their way into the ordinary drug sales. The Indian, Ceylon, and Java barks are of more uniform quality ; tho chief annual sales of the two former barks take place in London, and of the Java barks at Amsterdam, in the month of May. At present, the red bark comes over in the largest quantity, and is much superior to that from S. America.