126 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[AU(5. 2, 1886' 



however, eclipsed by the importance of the Royal 

 Gardens themselves as providing a field for those 

 hitherto unfamiliar with tropical nature. Here, there 

 are collected iu a small area a great variety of 

 species, both native and imported ; truly no botanist who 

 has resided at Peradeniya can any longer complain 

 of want of scope; if he does not find ample material 

 for future work, he can only lay the blame on his 

 own want of imagination. In the excellent herbarium 

 and library, as well as in the fine series of coloured 

 figures of native plants which are lodged in the 

 Garden, he would find the greatest assistance in 

 recognising and naming plants collected ; while lastly, 

 in the presence of the Director, who is the best 

 living authoritj' on the flora of Oeylon, are found 

 those social and scientific elements which go far to 

 enhance the pleasure of a visit to C'eylon. 



In my former article mention was made of Java, 

 where the Gardens of Buiteuzorg, presided over by 

 Dr. Treub, present great attractions for botanists. 

 In my case, shortness of the time at my disposal 

 prevented a vi*it to this famous Garden, and pro- 

 bably the same difficulty will present itself to others. 

 There is, however, one conspicuous advantage which 

 it possesses over Peradeniya as a station for botani- 

 cal research, viz, a well appointed laboratory.* If, 

 as seems not improbable, a Journey to the tropics 

 and a period of steady work among tropical plants 

 become a usual prelude to a career of active teaching 

 in botany, ought not the English to piovide them- 

 selves with some suitable station for such work ? Is 

 every man, whether well-to-do or impecunious, to 

 depend upon his own resources alone for laboratory 

 accommodation, re-ageits, glass, and all other accessories 

 necessary for his work 'f or are we to be content 

 to send our botanists to suck what advantage they 

 can from the hospitable Dutch, just as we send 

 our forestry students to study with the French ? 

 Surely it would be a most legitimate way of ex- 

 tending the usefulness of the Garden at Peradeniya, 

 and, in a small way it is true, of guarding the 

 credit of England as a tropical Power, to establish 

 a laboratory for the use of travellers. It need not 

 be a large or conspicuous building. Dr. Trimen 

 tells me that suitable accommodation for the present 

 could be found in the buildings already standing 

 in the Gardens, and probably lOd/. would cover the 

 initial cost of suppljing the bare necessaries of life 

 in the laboratory. The knowledge that such accommo- 

 dation would be found at the other end would cer- 

 tainly encourage those who are doubtful to undertake 

 a Journey to Ceylon. 



It may be noted that no mention has been made 

 of the Western tropics as a field for research ; 

 there can be no doubt as to the richness of the 

 field, but I am not aware that there are any stations 

 iu the West which can compare with Peradeniya 

 or Buitenzorg in convenience, accessibility, and general 

 adaptation to the requirements of those who con- 

 template only a comparatively short visit. 



Lastly, the cost of the journey will be found to 

 be the most frequent deterrent from undertaking 

 it; 2oOL is a large sum to spend upon six months' 

 work which can bring no direct financial return, 

 however great may be the ultimate advantage gained 

 from it ; travelling Fellowships are few ; but still 

 there are other sources from which grants may 

 well be made to assist really promising stmleiits in 

 attaining so desirable an end ; and it is to be hoped 

 that it may be regarded as a legit mate and not 



* The laboratory, herbarium and a splendid library 

 are located in a splendid hall, which the gardens 

 at Buitenzorg and the cause of science owe to 

 Governor-General Charles Pahud, whose name is 

 unfortunately associated with an inferior species of 

 cinchona. The Buitenzorg gardens are of great ex- 

 tent and species are carefully arranged in groups. 

 The numerous varieties of palms and paudanus are 

 specially reraakable. There is one particular palm 

 with a scarlet stem which is a veritable thing of 

 beauty. —Ed, 



unfrequent outlet for public or private grants, to 

 enable young men, who will ultimately engage in 

 teaching, towards the attainment of experience which 

 must always be of value to them in the exercise 

 of their profession. — F. O. Bower. 



THE COLONIAL EXHIBITION. 



TuE Co(ONLr Pai.m i.\THE LxDiAN OouuT.—As Supple- 

 mentary to the description of the manufacture of coir 

 matting, given by Mr. .Jackson in a recent number, 

 it may be interesting to furnish a few details as to the 

 importance of the trade in coir .and coconut-oil, and 

 to draw prominent attention to one of the most 

 complete and varied collections of the products of this 

 palm ever perhaps shown, and which is now on view 

 in the economic and commercial Indian Court of the 

 Exhibition at South Kensington, prepared by Mr. M. 0. 

 Pereira of Bombay. The value of the coconut-oil, 

 nuts, and fibre which we receive annually, exceeds 

 half a million sterling. The oil and coir are chiefly 

 received from Madras and Ceylon, the nuts from 

 Brazil and the West Indies. 



The collection of Mr. Pereira will be found near the 

 bamboo trophy, and his descriptive enumeration of the 

 exhibits (eighty-three in number) deserves a more ex- 

 tensive publicity. First is shown coir, the fibre obtained 

 from the husk of the coconut, which in this state is 

 used for stufiing cushions, beds, pillows, making rope 

 mats, cordage, &c. Spoon made of the shell, used in 

 the cook-rooms of Europeans, and by the natives for 

 drinking gruel (rice conjee); it has the advantage 

 over the metallic one of not corroding. A drainer 

 used for draining food that has been fried in ffhee 

 (clarified butter) or oil ; a large ladle, used for water ; a 

 smaller one, used by the natives for taking out oil 

 for daily use from an earthen vessel containing the 

 yearly or quarterly stock ; it is not corroded by the 

 oil. Hubble-bubble ; or hookah of the poorer classes, 

 beads, made of the shell. Vinegar, made of the juice 

 or sap of the palm. Pickle made of the pith of the 

 top of the fresh tree, with vinegar of the juice 

 (toddy) of the same palm. The spathe of the blossom, 

 the rib of the leaf. A broom made of the leaf-ribs : 

 these are much used for sweeping purposes. A strainer 

 made from the bracts of the tree, by which the 

 leaves are held firm to the tree. It is used for 

 straining (toddy) coconut-juice and coconut-milk, 

 and for general straining iu the cook-room, Wooly 

 tloss, much used as a styptic for cuts by the toddy 

 drawers and cultivators. The blossom in the state 

 when it is tapped for drawing juice (toddy). Chain 

 used round the waist to retain the loin-cloth : the 

 size is for a child — set in metal it may be used as a 

 watch-guard. Drum made of a piece of the trunk 

 of the tree. Wood, pieces of rafter made of the 

 lower part of the tree, 10, 20, and 25 feet in length. 

 Oil, as expressed in the native mills for commerce. 

 Oil extracted from fresh coconuts by rasping 

 fine, drying and pressing between coir, and twisting 

 with the hands, or by extracting the milk and sep- 

 erating the oil by heat. It is u.sed internally in lieu 

 of cod liver oil, and externally tor ulcers with good 

 results. Coconut hair-oil, arrack, a spirituous liquor, 

 60^ u. p., distilled from cocoimt juice (toddy) and 

 drukhot. Punch made from the juice of the coco- 

 nut palm, with spices and sugar, from the recipe of 

 the Portuguese. One or two cupfuls are drunk hot 

 for a cold. Liquor made of toddy by re-distillation, 

 20° u.p., formerly much used for making nislicinal 

 tinctures and country brandy; a coconut (the fruit 

 takes a year to ripen). A sweetmeat prepared from 

 the kernel of the nut ; another kind is flavoured with 

 saffron. Splints made of spathe of the blossom used 

 for this purpose by the toddy drawers and natives 

 of Goa, kc. Door mats made of the fibre, of many 

 shapes and sizes by natives, and iu the gaols. Buggy 

 mats and carriage mats are also shown. Floor mats 

 are also made in Malabar, and iu the Bombay gaols 

 of different sorts and colours. A bird-cage made of 

 the rib of the leaf. Horns, large and small, made 

 of the leaf of the palm (rive a loud .sound when fresh. 

 Toy-parrots iu cage, made by children, of the leaf 



