THE BOTANICAL GARDENS OF CEYLON 199 



An attractive plot at Peradeniya is the Kitchen Garden, in which 

 are assembled such " vegetables " as will grow in that hot, moist 

 climate. Many of our common vegetables do well and can be had at 

 all seasons, for example, beans, beets, peas, celery, lettuce and cress. 

 Potatoes are generally small and poor. Sweet corn will grow in 

 Ceylon, but has not thus far come into use. Of tropical vegetables 

 various " yams " are much used, particularly by the natives. The word 

 " yam " is applied to tubers and thickened roots of many different 

 species of plants. Eggplants, different from ours in the temperate 

 zone, are cultivated, also certain plants used, for " greens." Bread- 

 fruit trees produce the large heavy fruits of that name, but these 

 would properly be classified among vegetables. Breadfruit is not 

 much used by the British in Ceylon, who, in fact, eat chiefly the same 

 things that they are accustomed to eat at home on their own tight 

 little island. 



Thus far we have been considering the attractions of the Peradeniya 

 gardens to the casual visitor. To the botanist they are even more 

 interesting. Every facility is offered by the director of the gardens for 

 investigation by visiting men of science. There is a good herbarium 

 in charge of competent curators and a working library of botanical 

 books and periodicals. Good laboratory facilities are also offered. 

 Although the laboratory for visitors is not fully equipped with phys- 

 iological apparatus, there are the usual necessaries and it is easy to 

 obtain all ordinary supplies at Kandy or Colombo. Native joiners, 

 tinsmiths and metal-workers can be secured at very low rates to make 

 articles needed. Photographic materials may be obtained at Kandy, 

 only three miles away, and skilled photographers may be engaged to 

 develop negatives or do other photographic work such as making lantern 

 slides. 



Opportunities for securing museum material are excellent. Col- 

 lections of tropical woods properly named are prepared to order by 

 dealers in Kandy. Plant material may be collected from the garden 

 and preserved in formaldehyde or alcohol. Herbarium specimens from 

 the garden can be collected and dried, but the botanist will need to 

 remember that nothing short of the most thorough drying will suffice. 

 It will also be necessary to use a liberal amount of naphthalene scat- 

 tered through the dry specimens at all times. A native plant collector 

 is detailed by the director of the gardens to assist visiting botanists 

 in getting material from either the garden or the jungle. This man 

 is well acquainted with nearly all of the species in the garden or grow- 

 ing in the vicinity and can usually tell the scientific name offhand, 

 although sometimes he needs to refer to the herbarium. At the 

 laboratory native assistants are provided who clean up apparatus and 

 glassware and make themselves generally useful. 



One of the most interesting things about Ceylon is the way in 



