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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



around the gardens. The experiment station was formerly a private 

 estate bought by the gardens at a low price because it had been allowed 

 to run down and the chocolate trees nearly all become diseased. Sci- 

 entific methods of tending and care have been introduced and a model 

 plantation developed. Here experiments are made with new agricul- 

 tural crops and with new methods of treatment. The different species 

 of trees furnishing rubber are being tried as well as improved varieties 



Fig. 3. Bamboos along the River in the Perademya Gardens. In the clearing 

 across the stream is a small rice field. From a photograph by the author. 



of chocolate, cardomoms and other crops. Throughout Ceylon there 

 is much general interest in scientific agriculture and the controller of 

 the experiment station has the encouragement and moral support of 

 the thinking population, both European and native. The daily news- 

 papers at Colombo also give much attention to such matters and assume 

 a sympathetic attitude toward government scientific work, in refresh- 

 ing contrast to many of the newspapers in this country. 



