No. 426, REVENUE, 2ND AUGUST 1898. 7
weeding and. digging given to the rest of the plantation. At the end of a year the
2,400 trees will be coppiced, and the bark yielded by each plot of 800 trees will be
worked up separately in the Nedivattam factory. A careful account will be kept of
all expenses incurred on each of the three plots from the time of the application of the
manure, and the yield of quinine and febrifuge will be recorded for each plot. In this
way it is hoped that it, will be possible to prove that when a cinchona estate is worked
on a coppice rotation, it is highly profitable to adopt every possible means of enriching
the bark before the trees are cut down. The 800 unmanured trees will probably yield
4,000 pound of bark analysing 4 per cent. or 160 lb. of quinine, and it is expected
that each plot of manured trees will give 4,000 lb. of bark analysing 6 per cent. or
240 lb. of quinine. Taking the value of quinine at Rs. 10 per lb., the increased yield
would be worth Rs. 800, while the total extra expenditure on each of the manured
plots will not be much more than Rs. 180. So that there w ould be a profit of about
Rs. 620 per acre if the sulphate of quinine was increased 50 per cent., i.e ., from 4 per
cent. to 6 per cent. An increase of rather less than ½ per cent. of quinine will., it is
estimated, cover the cost of the manure, &amp;c. In the next annual report details of
the experiments will be given, and. it is hoped that the results will be of interest to
planters of cinchona who work their estates on the coppice system. The
Stimulus given by the manure should be of service in encouraging the growth from the stool
when the tree has been cut down, and the application of manure 12 months before
coppicing should thus serve a double purpose.
V. NURSERIES.—The nurseries on all the estates Were carefully attended to during
the Vear and. a large stock of plants was raised to meet the requirements for the
new extensions. Two pounds of officinalis seed Were received from the
Director of Public Gardens and Plantations, Jamaiea, and were carefully Sown in boxes at
N e d i v a t t a m w i t h t h y
r e s u l t
t h a t 1 1 7 , 0 7 0 he
a l t h y s e e d l i n g s
W e r e r a i s e d . I na
d d i t i o n t o
that
received from Jamaica, seed was taken from youngV i g o r o u s t r e e so
n t h e H o o k e r
E s t a t e
and put down in the nurseries at Hooker and Nedivattam. This seed has germinated
very Well, and there will be a n ample Supply of plants for the extensions contemplated.
The seed collected in recent years from the oldest trees on Dodabetta and it
was thought. that the age of the parent trees might be the cause of the plants
s h o w i n g a
l a c k o f r o b u s t n e s s . T h e p r o g r e s s o f t h ep
l a n t s n o w
raised from younger trees will
be carefully noted and Will be compared with that of the plants raised from Jamaica
seed and from the seed. taken from old trees.
VI. CROP.—The total quantity of bark harvested during the year was 128, 349 l b.
as shown in statement 7. The crop on all the estates was obtained by the coppicing
of sickly trees and by thinnings. The n u m b e r
o f t r e e s t h u s
c u t .
d o w n a t D o d a b e t t a
was 1,832, at Nedivattam 66,481. and at Hooker 50,370. Of the total number of
trees cut down at Nedivattam 63,068 were hybrids growing on replanted land, and all.
the trees coppieed. at. Hooker Were glowing on land which had previously borne a
crop of cinchona. It is satisfactory to note that, in the majority of cases, the coppieed
stools are throwing up healthy suckers. It should perhaps be mentioned here that the
detailed estimate of the amount of bark on the plantations which was forwarded to
Government on 15th ,January 1898 was made after the crop for the past year had
been taken. The quantity of bark purchased from private growers during the year
was 108,934 lb., and a report showing the priees paid and the amount of alkaloids
extracted from this bark was sent to Government on the 21st March 1898. At the
close of last year. the stock of hark on hand was 246,751 lb. The additions made
during the year by crop and perchase amounted. to 237,283 lb., making a total of
484,034 lb. Of this total, 241,895 lb. were used in the factory and sold to Medical
S t o r e s , & a m p ; c . , l e a v i n g a b a l a n c e i n s t o r e o f 2 4 2 , 1 3 9 l b . a s d e t a i l e d i n s t a t e m e n t 7 .
VII, BUILDINGS.—The total expenditure under this head amounted to Rupees
1,352-7-7 as against Rs. 2,491-4-1 in 1896-97. All necessary repairs were effeeted
and some improvements were made to the factory at Nedivattam.
VIII. FACTORY.—The unfortunate loss at sea on the 8th April of the 15 tons of
fusel Oil required for the year's manufacture, in addition to 4 tons of sulphuric acid,
necessitated the suspension of quinine manufacture for some months. A fresh supply
of oil was telegraphed for at once, and a start was made with the making of quinine
on the 17th September. From this date to the end of the year the work was carried on
continuously and 125,934 lb. of crown bark were worked up which yielded 5,092 lb.
quinine and 2,085 lb. febrifuge. It was mentioned in the last annual report that
2