PLANTATION RTJBBEB, INDUSTRY OF THE EAST. 461 



and the customary thefts, it is difficult to understand how the 

 stock could have dwindled to such an extent in so short a time. 

 As a possible explanation I may offer the following suggestion, 

 which to those who are acquainted with the history of the 

 Gardens, circa 1880, may have some semblance of probability. 

 The total number of plants distributed prior to 1881 was 

 considerably more than 1,200 : the actual number recorded 

 is 1,211, in addition to "a few Wardian cases" to India, and 

 " a moderate distribution " to planters in Ceylon. All these 

 were supposed to have been raised from cuttings, but as soon 

 as Trimen inquired into the matter propagation by cuttings 

 ceased ; and the old labourers at Henaratgoda insist on assert- 

 ing that all the cuttings died — that no plants were ever 

 raised there from cuttings. It would seem probable that the 

 plants which were distributed as raised from cuttings were 

 really the original stocks ; to any one who knows the East, the 

 assumptions involved in such an interpretation are by no 

 means out of the ordinary. 



At Peradeniya, Hevea, Castilloa, and Ceara were in existence 

 in the old vegetable garden (now the Palmyra Avenue) in 

 1883,^ and Hevea in the old nursery (near the present nurseiy). 

 These appear to have been of Thwaites's planting. In April, 

 1881, Trimen planted twelve Heveas near the herbaceous beds 

 in the South Garden, and eighteen, of which six died soon 

 after, on the opposite side of the road, half way down the river 

 bank, in order to imitate the conditions recommended by 

 Cross.2 No further planting was done at Peradeniya until 

 1905, when ten acres were put out on the Experiment Station 

 on the other side of the river. 



At the present time there are old trees in the Peradeniya 

 Gardens distributed as follows :— A clump of eight behind the 

 Palmyra Avenue, a group of eleven near the herbaceous ground 

 (Trimen, 1881), another group of twelve on the river bank 

 (Trimen, 1881), one near the nursery (Thwaites), and one 

 (formerly in the hedge) near the potting shed. The last named 

 plant appears to have been an escape, and it differs in some 

 respects from the other trees : it has not borne seed during the 



last two years. 



1 Trimen's " Guide," 1883. ^ Trimen's diary. 



