BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 155 
gentleman I prepared a short paper on the subject, which was trans- 
lated into Singhalese and distributed. In my next Report I hope to be 
able to give some account of the trials made by the natives of the Cen- 
tral Province in Cotton cultivation. 
Having obtained from England a small quantity of Shiraz Tobacco- 
seed, plants were raised from it as soon as possible, and the fresh seed 
produced from them extensively distributed; and from Chilaw I have 
had the pleasure to receive a very favourable account of it. In that 
place it is likely to supersede the kind previously cultivated, as it is 
acknowledged to be very superior in quality. Other varieties of To- 
bacco are now being raised from American seed, presented by a liberal 
contributor to the Garden. 
It has afforded me satisfaction to find, from an article published re- 
cently in a Colombo newspaper, that seeds of the best kind of Senna, 
which I sent to a gentleman residing at Putlam, have succeeded well 
there; and the plant would no doubt grow equally well on the sea-coast 
generally of the island. 
The plants of Manilla Hemp referred to in my last Report are grow- 
ing well, and in a short time may be divided for distribution to a small 
extent. The Vanilla plants are in a very healthy condition, and one of 
them produced flowers during the past year; and I hope that, before 
long, “ pods ” will be obtained from the plants. 
In order to ascertain whether the inferiority of the Ginger produced 
in this country to that obtained from the West Indies, arises from the 
latter being a superior variety of the plant, or from more care being 
bestowed on its cultivation, I have obtained, through the kindness of a 
gentleman who has lately arrived in England from this island, a small 
supply of West Indian Ginger in a growing state. This has been 
planted in the Garden, and will be cultivated under exactly similar con- 
ditions with some of the native Ginger, and the produce of the two 
kinds carefully compared. 
In addition to numerous ornamental plants received during the past 
year from the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew, I have to record the ac- 
quisition of six prime varieties of Pine-apple, all of which are looking 
well, and likely to succeed. Amongst interesting plants received from 
various sources, [ must not omit to mention growing specimens of the 
true Cochineal Cactus (Opuntia coccinellifera), presented by the same 
gentleman to whom the Garden is indebted for the Manilla Hemp plants. 
