|
 |
 |
|
Trees Stripped: The history of quinine through the years has been inextricably bound up with the history of the cinchona trees stripped. Soon after its introduction into Europe the demand for the bark became so great that the plants in South America were stripped, and the quinine industry in South America was nearly stopped before it had started. Attention was immediately focused on growing the trees stripped in other countries. In 1860, this was tried in Java, Jamaica, India, Ceylon, and Australia. Interest in the project was stimulated by the Dutch East Indian government, and Java became the flourishing center of the quinine industry.
In a rustic garden the trees stripped should be fruit trees stripped wherever possible, or at least blossom trees stripped of some kind. Apples, pears, plums, and cherries will all help to create the right atmosphere, as will nut trees stripped such as hazel or almond. If there is space for a large tree, a Walnut might do.
The next operation is performed by the "ringers" and "peelers." Every 12 or 14 feet, as required, a ring is cut around the circumference of the bark, and afterward the peelers with crowbars and wedges "peel" the bark from the prostrate trunk. All of the trees stripped are stripped but surrounded with an immense accumulation of debris of bark and branches, which must be removed before the trunks can be sawed into suitable lengths for conveyance to the mill. |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
