458 FETCH : 



to the practical sense of the planter. It is scarcely surprising, 

 therefore, that Cross's report formed the main source from 

 which Superintendents of Botanic Gardens and planters 

 derived information. 



IV. — Distribution in and from Ceylon. 



In 1875 the only Botanic Gardens in Ceylon were those at 

 Peradeniya and Hakgala, the latter, at an elevation of 5,600 

 feet, being opened for the cultivation of cinchona in 1861. 

 It was necessary, therefore, to open a new garden in the low- 

 country for the reception of the Hevea plants. The choice of a 

 site — Henaratgoda — was probably influenced by its proximity 

 to the railway and its accessibility from Peradeniya or Colombo, 

 but in several respects it has proved an unfortunate one. The 

 available area is small and does not admit of expansion, and 

 the soil is poor. Moreover, it is far removed from the districts 

 which have since proved most suitable for Hevea. 



The land was acquired iu 1876, but the plants arrived too 

 late to be planted out that year, and they had to be kept in 

 bamboo pots at Peradeniya until the following June. On 

 June 6, 1877, Dr. Thwaites wTote : — " We are now getting 

 Hevea and Castilloa into our new garden, and we have fine 

 healthy plants grown in bamboo pots to put in. Some of 

 both kinds planted out here {i.e., at Peradeniya) in the 

 open ground are doing very well." ^ These latter plants were 

 probably planted in the old vegetable ground, where the 

 Palmyra Avenue now stands, a site which originally bore all 

 the Hevea, Ceara, and Castilloa planted at Peradeniya. A 

 group of eight Hevea still exists there, but the trees appear 

 to be too small to be part of the original stock. There is no 

 record, however, of any subsequent planting of Hevea in that 

 locality. If these are the trees alluded to by Thwaites, they 

 arc j)ait of Wickham's consignment. 



Thwaites' letter, quoted above, refers to the plants obtained 

 by VVickham. The second consignment of plants to Ceylon 

 was not sent from Kew until Scptembei- 15, 1877. How many 

 of the latter survived the voyage, and what was done with 

 them, has apparently not been recorded. 



' Kow Report, 1877. 



