No. 578, REVENUE, 16TH JULY 1897.
7
VII. CROP.—The total quantity of bark harvested during the year was 186,867 lb.
as detailed below :—
Plantation.
Crown.
Hybrid.
Red.
Total.
Dodabetta
65,06
65,066
N e d i v a t t a m
39,563
1,477
61,261
102,301
Hooker
19,500
19,500
Total
124,129
1,477
61,261
186,867
The crop from Dodabetta was obtained by coppicing alternate rows of trees over
17•75 acres and was augmented by the coppicing of a few sickly trees on various
plots. The bulk of the Nedivattam crop was obtained by the uprootal of 3,159 crown
and 2,773 red bark trees from plots Nos. 1 and 2. These trees which were planted
in 1862 had long since passed their prime. The Succirubras or red bark trees would
have been uprooted in any case as they are febrifuge yielders only, but the crown bark
trees would have been coppiced had they been younger. It has been found that crown
bark trees at Nedivattam 30 years old and upwards do not coppice at all well. The
few stools that make growth throw up weedy suckers which die off in a few years.
This is only what might be expected. To ensure successful reproduction from
coppice, the trees should be cut over while in a condition of vigorous growth and
before they have passed their prime. Under the circumstances therefore it was con-
sidered best to uproot the crown as well as the red bark trees. The land having lain
fallow for some years, will eventually be planted up with crown bark plants. As
plot No. 1, which was originally planted in 1862 and which consists of 14•12 acres,
has now been entirely cleared, the quantity of bark yielded by the final harvest can
be given. The final crop taken from this plot up to last year was 11,190 lb. and
during the year under review 62,070 lb. were harvested, making a total of 73,260 lb.
or 5,188 lb. per acre as the result of the final harvest. The average yield of dry bark
per tree was 15 . 9 lb.
The crop from the Hooker Estate consisted entirely of bark taken from sickly and
dying trees and from thinnings.
The actual quantity of bark remaining in store at the close of last year was
300,030 lb. During the year under review 186,867 lb. were harvested, making a total
of 486,897 lb. Of this total, 240,146 lb. were disposed of during the year as shown
below :—
LB.
Used for manufacture of quinine and febrifuge
238,100
Sold
2,046
Total
240,146
and there remained in store at the end of the year 246,751 lb., of which 104,776 lb.
belonged to the 1896–97 crop and 141,975 lb. to the crops of previous years.
Statement No. 5 appended to the report exhibits the yield of bark from the
Government Plantations since their commencement.
VIII. BUILDINGS.—The only new building constructed dur
i n g t h e y e a r w a s a l i n e o f t e n h o u s e s f o r t i e a c c o m m o d a t i o n o f c o o l i e s o n t h e H o o k e r E s t a t e . T h e d a m a g e
done by the exceptionally heavy gales which prevailed during the south-west monsoon
was comparatively slight, and before the end of the year all the buildings on the
estates were put into good repair.
The total expenditure under this head was Rs. 2,491–4–1 detailed as follows :—
R S .
A .
P .
Dodabetta
265 14 0
Nedivattam
496 11 2
Hooker
1,578 14 4
Head office
149 12 7
Total
2,491 4 1