Evening star., 1901-09-14

OF man s body. and to a height OF about
fifty feet. In 1850 they had only 1000 of
these trees. They have now many, many
millions. The Java trees are of exactly the
same variety as those used in India, but
the planters here tell me that the Java
bark produces far more quinne than the
India bark, and that the trees yield differ
emily according to soil and climate
On the Cinchona Plantations.
This letter is written at Bandong, in the
center of the best quinine-producing region
of the world. 1t is situated in a basin in
the Preanger, mountainous region of
western Java, surrounded by quinine plan
tations. 1t has also the government fac
tory where the bark is reduced to that bit
ter powder which kills the malaria. The
plantations are in the mountains at about
5000 or 1900 feet above sea level. You see
their rich, red color spotting the hills as
you ride about, and in places you may see
the natives taking up the trees or stripping
off the bark. The soil here is very rich,
and there are frequent rains all the year
around.
How to Raise Quinine.
I am surprised at the scientific methods
which prevail in the cultivation of the qui-
nine estates. I have discussed them with
the planters, and also with DR.. A. r. van
Linge. the director of the factory. They
all tell me that the trees must be planted
just so, and the greatest care taken to en-
rich the soil. Oil cakes, and especially cas-
tor oil cakes are used as manure. The
ground Is carefully cultivated and the
plants are set out according to the meth
DDS which the government experiments
have proved best.
The plants are raised from the seeds,
which are sown in seed beds. The seeds
are much like fax seed so small that one
ounce Of them will produce about 10000
plants. After the sprouts have grown
about four inches high they are transplant
ed and later on transplanted again into the
places where they are to stay.
At first the trees were set out wide apart
but now they are planted at every three
or four feet. and as they grow alternate
trees are cut out from year to year to
give the others more room. The bark of
those cut out Is used, so that the planta-
tton begins to produce something within a
short time. The first cutting is at about
the third year. and the cutting continues
until the tenth year, when the trees are
full grown. In taking out the trees both
the roots and branches are saved, for they
both yield quinine, although the best quiz
nine comes from the bark Of the stem.
The bark is dried in the sun or in evapo-
rators and then packed up and sent to the
factory to be made into quinine.
1000 Trees to the Acre.
DR.. van Linge tells me that about thou
sand trees are planted to the acre and that
on the government plantations there are
single trees which will yield as much as
s64 worth Of quinine. At this rate thou
sand would yield $4,000. the greatest profit
per acre perhaps of any crop known. Even
though it required ten years to grow the
whole crop this would be equal to Sc 400 per
acre per year. Divide this by and you
would still do well. You could have 81 900
per acre, which is by no means bad yield
In these days Of per cent interest and 10
cent wheat.
In a Quinine Factory.
The biggest quinine factory of the world
under government supervision, but Is run
as a private enterprise in the interests Of
the planters, although 1 believe they have
no stock In 1t. The factory does not buy
the cinchona bark. 1t merely takes toll
for its work. The bark Is delivered in
bales Of 200 pounds each. These are care
fully analysed by the government chemists
each bale contains. After this the planter
gets a check for the value of the bark less
the toll, and the bark is now thrown In
with the other bark In the warehouse. /
went with DR.. van Linge through the diff
ferent branches of the factory watching
the processes Of reducing the bark to quiz
nine. AS 1t comes from the tree 1t looks
not unlike ordinary bark, but when you
taste 1t 1t is like biting into q pill. Much
Of 1t comes to the factory in dust. and it
Is all reduced to dust before it Is carried
into the mill.
The dust looks like cinnamon ground fine
1t is reddish brown, but each brown grain
incloses some Of the white atoms we know