Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-15
l.. =. LEGATION, QUITo,

| Dsdr Sir: The great importance which has be-
come attached to the cine bona tree, which furnishes
! the Peruvian or fever bark will excuse for
/ troubling you with this communication. | do not
know whether attempts have been heretofore made
for its propagation in the United States not but
there can be no doubt that parts of our country
| are adapted to its cultivation.
1t is found in Ecuador, as well as in Peru, Boil
ivia, and New Granada, and its value article
OF commerce has very greatly increased during the
last half century. La this country il formerly sold
at $40 per hundred while Its present price is = per
pound. (These prices are i'm Ecuadoran currency
! to reduce which to United Stares money requires
reduction of about one-fifth) In Ecuador the
tree is found at elevations Of from six to eight tou
sand feet. and where the temperature ranges from
to TO So. But, as Humboldt observes Il compdr-
| ison between the climate OF these regions and
others is not satisfactory, and il docs not follow
that the tree will not flourish in Temperatures quite
different. Within a few years, seeds Of the tree
has been sent to England and prOpagated in order
/ to be forwarded To India. The plants forwarded
thither in glass covered boxes, with what success
remains To be seen. The seed is diminutive and
may be sent by post To remote countries In north
| ern Ecuador, and west Of the mountains and of
Quito, the inferior kind is found.
! The red bark variety, which is most valuable,
| Is everywhere becoming scarce before the depre-
datIOns OF the hunters, and care is exercised
in its cultivation il may after some years unless
attention is turned TO the subject become nearly
| extinct The most valuable and extensive forests
Of the tree found in southern Ecuador in the.
vicinity of l.oxa, and il is from that quarter SO
Tar as this country Is concerned that supplies
! IDna
may he found in Humboldt's Personal Narrative,
vol. L. p. 49, and more particularly in his Views
| oI Nature. (BOhns Translation OF IeJU) PIP 30
I $50, and lin motel ar.
! - IL may be- we'll for you to bring this subject
To the attention of Mr. ID. Browne, conneCted
| with the Patent Office. and 1 should be- glad to
/ hear from him concerning it. From my position
here, enjoy Peculiar facilities for obtaining the
! seeds OF the tree, aud information regarding its
/ culture, and will DE- glad to act la concert with
MIR Browne, if he will taxi efficient steps for is
Introduction into the United states.
Very truly yours, &. k. BUCKALEw
IL is stated that about double the amount of
quinine can be obtained from the bark in its
green state than when dried
CURIOUS Phenomenon. On Sunday last, the
fields in the vicinity of Blsdensburg presented
singular appearance, glancing in the setting
sun like seas Of silver in restless, perpetual
movement. 1t was soon observed that the phe-
nomenon extended everywhere, all objects,
trees, fences, even ploughed ground, being CON-
pletely woven over with exceedingly delicate
spider web. Indeed, there is not a fence -raiI
post, or tree, between Bladensburg and Wash
ingtOn that is not covered with it, What does
it portend The earth has often been visited
by hostile swarms of insects; but is not this the
first instance Of the occurrence on large scale
OF the sntidOte! Are we to have no more mos
quitoes? Is the stock Of the new cylinder fly
machine to fall beyond redemption?
Let the entOmologists examine the spider in
question, and tell US first whether he will bite
and secondly if he'll grow any bigger. In
either case the ladies of the germs arachneti-
mentia will have to exile themselves forthwith
to Siberia. As far as observed, the spider is
minute dark brown with black stripe down
the back, violently opposed to being caught
but well behaved in alcohol
Since writing the above, we have been in
formed by Professor S, of Washington, that
the phenomenon is common at Buenos Ayres
under the name Of gossamer The spider.
lying on its back, kicks out clouds of this Cos
samer, which floats through the air covering
everything, even the hats of travellers, with its
silver sheen.
We learn that the same phenomenon was OBJ
served on Sunday at various points in and
about this District