Atrc. 2, 1886,] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



125 



FACILITIES FOR BOTANICAL RESEARCH. 



Undpr this heading Professor Bower, who recently 

 visitud Ceylon, writes the following interesting arti- 

 cle in Nature. Colombo, it will be seen, is recognized 

 as the CUapham Junction of the East: — 



In an article under the above heading, published 

 in nature, vol. xsxi. p. 460, I endeavoured to draw 

 the attention of our younger botiinists to the im- 

 portance of extending their studies over a wider 

 field than is at present usual, and mentioned some 

 easily accessible stations at which students might 

 observe tropical vegetation. Since that article was 

 written, I have had the opportunity of actiug on 

 my own suggestion, and of visiting Ceylon ; I am 

 therefore now in a position to enlarge upon my 

 previous suggestions, and to fill in from personal 

 experince many details which, though often trivial 

 in themselves, may yet briug the possibility of 

 Eastern travel home to the mind of some in such 

 a way as may lead to future action. But while 

 giving some account of the facilities for botanical 

 work in the East, care must be taken no( to over- 

 colour the picture ; it happens too often that writers 

 of an enthusiastic bent raise expectations in the 

 minds of their readers, which actual experience can 

 only disappoint: in the following paragraphs I shall 

 endeavour to mako a purely matter-of-fact statement, 

 and leave the colouriug to he filled in at the will 

 or opportunity of the reader. Taking first I'eradeniya, 

 we may consider what aro its attractions as a station 

 for botanical work, and then pass on to discuss the 

 relative merits of other stations. 



In the first place, hardly any port in the east is 

 more accessible than f 'olombo ; it has been aptly called 

 the " Clapham Junction " of the East : the steamers 

 of all nations m<'et there, and the competition bet- 

 ween them produces a moderate scale of fares. Once, 

 there, a direct train scirvice lands the traveller in 

 about three hours almost at the gate of the Royal 

 Gardens ; the mechanical discomforts of many a journey 

 to remote districts in the United Kingdom are greater 

 than this. The cost of the journey will vary accor- 

 ding to the line of steamers selected ; by the Penin- 

 sular and Oriental line a return ticket can be had 

 from London to Colombo for 907., 100.'., or 110/. 

 according as the return journey is completed in three, 

 six, or twelve months. The charges on the Message- 

 ries Maritimes are about the same. The Star. Clan, 

 and British India lines make more moderate charges, 

 but the pace is correspondingly slower. It is little 

 use making a journey of more than 5000 miles for 

 a brief visit; and it may be presumed that, except 

 where the circumstances are extraordinary, students 

 would find it convenient to stay in Ceylon for three 

 or four months, or more. Little is to be gained by 

 scamping an expedition such as this, in which it may 

 often happen that a man may gain his first and 

 last experience of tropical nature ; further, the 

 surroundings are so new that it is some little time 

 before one with even a good knowledge of our 

 temperate flora can accommodate himself suflficiently 

 to them to carry on successful work. We may 

 then regard the cost of the journey as 100/., and 

 the time required to make it a success about six 

 months. The choice of season is an important point ; 

 in a country of alternating wet and dry periods it 

 is well to experience both, and for the botanical 

 collector it is important that collections should be 

 finally made up in dry whether ; it would be found 

 that leaving England in November, and landing at 

 the beginning of Decembor, the weather would still 

 be wet and vegetation luxuriant, but prcservaticm of 

 dry species would be dfficuli ; a gradual change would 

 be experienced, till in F(>.bruary and March the dry 

 and hot season would have come in, vegetation would 

 bo more or less checked, n,iid the preservation of 

 dry spL'cimens would be ea.sy. Beturning towards the 

 end of March the English winter would lie past, and, 

 if he be a teacher, the travelhn- would bo in time 

 for the summer session in our TTniversities or medical 

 schonls. 



Once on the spot the first question is one of 

 accommodation. At Peradeniya there are neither 

 hotels nor lodgings; ^ house must be taken and 

 temporarily furnished, and it is surprising hpw cheaply 

 this can be done. I took a small bungalow, the 

 rent, of which was 1\40 per month ; friends lent 

 me some articles of furniture, and an expenditure 

 of K150 supplied all else that was required for 

 temporary housekeeping. The cost of keeping house, 

 including the wages of two native servants, rent, &c., 

 with a margin for incidental expenses, may be set 

 down at about B250 per month ; allowing further 

 some 11200 for travelling expenses, it will be found 

 that 111,500 will represent the total necessary ex- 

 penses of residence in the island for four months. 

 But in its present depreciated state, the rupee is 

 worth only about l.s. M. : it will therefore be sufficient 

 to lodge about 11.5?. at a bank in Ceylon to cover 

 ail necessary expenses for four months' residence. 

 I would not advise, however, that that exact sum only 

 should be transferred ; it would be more prudent 

 to allow a margin for possible contingencies. The 

 total expenses of a six months' trip to Peradeniya 

 may thus be set down as 250/. But there are 

 various ways in which strict economy might reduce 

 the cost, while if two friends were to club together, 

 their individual expenses for housekeeping would be 

 considerably below the sum above stated for one. 

 'J'hus it will be seen that neither in difficulty of 

 transit nor in point of expense are there suflicient 

 obstacles to prevent a visit to Peradeniya, or some 

 similar station, finding a place in the pn»giiamme of 

 the career of an average botanist. One of the chief 

 obstacles will he felt by many to be the loss of 

 possible opportunities while absent, or the break in 

 continuity of teaching, or other work in which a 

 man may he already enga.ged. I venture to think 

 that these are much overrated objections ; and ag.ainst 

 them may be set the very great advantages which 

 a tropical visit carries with it. A further <iuestion 

 is, at what period in a man's career will a visit of 

 this sort best repay him ? Some will say immediately 

 after taking his degree, but I am inclined to think 

 that even a first-class man is at that time hardly 

 prepared to make the best of the opportunity should 

 it offer. The experience gained by a few years of 

 teaching and of original work at home will indicate 

 what is to be expected and what is to be looked for, 

 and will fit a man in many ways for striking out new 

 lines for himself, even if it have not already defined 

 for him a clear line of research. On the other hand, 

 it is important that traveUing should be undertaken 

 before a man settles in life, so that his mind may 

 be as free as possible from distractions and anxieties. 

 We may now pass on to consider what are the 

 specific advantages presented by Peradeniya as a station 

 for botanical work. It is, as I have said, easily acces- 

 sible ; being more than 1,500 feet above the sea, the 

 excessive heat of the low country is avoided, audit 

 may be regarded as a decidedly healthy place. Secondly, 

 it is situated in a central position, both as re- 

 gards the whole island, and as regards the chief 

 lines of communication by rail and road. Thus it is 

 easy to gain excess to the low country by train to 

 Colombo, whence roads, traversed often by horse 

 coaches, will lead alone the coast, or inland in vari- 

 ous directions; or, taking the upcountry line, Nuwara 

 Eliya may be visited, which lies about 0,000 feet 

 above the sea, and would serve as a good centre for 

 working the higher levels ; or agam, a journey north- 

 wards by train and coach to Anuradliapura would 

 give an insight into the low-level vegetation of the 

 drier northern districts. From the above notes it 

 will be readily seen how varied is the character of 

 the country within easy roach from Peradeniya, pre- 

 senting within a comparatively small area districts 

 varying fro^n the sea-level to 8,000 feet, and 

 including both damp and relativ(4y dry areas at low 

 levels. This in it-^elf would lea<l one to expect a 

 rich and varied flora; and in fact tlie list of native 

 plants now numbers some 3,000 species, a very con- 

 siderable propoition of which are peculiar to the 

 island. These and other natural advantages are, 



