May I, 1883.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 929 



of the seed was sown in nursery beds under thatcli. All this germinated well, and when the 

 seedlings were large enough to handle they were pricked out. Some were planted on the plots of 

 land where the seed had failed, but these also failed to thrive, and the poorness of the soil is 

 shown by the plants being hardly any bigger now, after several months, than when pricked out. 

 The old tea clearing, which is about half an acre, was also prepared and plants were pricked out in 

 this 3 inches apart. They are now all established and are growing well, and should be ready 

 to lift in three or four months' time. 274,000 taraxacum plants were pricked out in the above- 

 mentioned places." 



The want of depth of soil and its poverty in nitrogenous matters are no donbt against the 

 production of the finest roots, but I am glad to see that some roots have already attained the very 

 creditable length of 14 inches, and I believe that, with some manuring, a satisfactory product will 

 be secured. 



Other drugs established at Hakgala are Rhubarb (both the official species), Belladonna, 

 Hyoscyamns, Digitalis, Camomile, and others, some of which it will be probably worth while to 

 grow for use in the Colony. 



Seeds of Gualacum or Lignum Vitce were received from Jamaica, and have grown weil ; a 

 small plantation of this has been formed at Peradeuiya. 



Chinese Cassia lu/nea. — To Mr. Ford (Superintendent of the Botanic Garden at Hongkong) 

 the Gardens are indebted for sending (with the consent of the Secretary of State and the Govern- 

 ment of Hongkong), a Wardian case of young plants of C'mnamomum Cassia, the plant affording 

 the "Cassia lignea" of commerce. Eighteen of these have been planted at Peradeuiya, and some 

 sent to Hakgala for trial. The plants seem very hardy. These were collected by Mr. Ford him- 

 self from the plantations on the West River in the province of Kwangtung, South China, where an 

 immense cultivation is carried on. Like our Ceylon cinnamon, the precise plant is not known wild, 

 but is probably a cultivated race of some common wild species. By this visit Mr. Ford has satisfac- 

 torily determined that this is the sole source of " Cassia lignea," which has been hitherto supposed 

 to be derived from a number of species of Clmiamomum. Dried specimens kindly sent me at the same 

 time show that the species is quite the same as the C. Cassia figured by me in " Medicinal Plants," 

 tab. 223, which was drawn from dried specimens at Kew collected by Dr. Hance from a tree (as 

 I have since ascertained) growing in the Public Garden of Canton. The export of this product 

 from Canton in 1878 reached the enormous quantity of 58,313 piculs ; it is, however, of far less 

 value than cinnamon in the market. The spice has been brought from South China since the 

 earliest dawn of history, and is doubtless the original cinnamon of the Mosaic and other early 

 writings. The scent of the leaves is far more pleasant than that of Ceylon cinnamon. A return 

 case of the latter has been sent to Hongkong. 



-Sta?- Anise.— Some seeds of the true Chinese "Star Anise" (Illicium anisatiim) have been 

 received from Dr. Hance, of Whampoa, but, I regret to say, all failed to germinate. (This was also 

 the case with some kindly given me by Mr. C. J. Scott in 1881.) They were obtained by a special 

 agent in the south-west of Kwangsi from the living trees. This fruit is a large export from 

 Pakhoi, one of the l';>ss-known treaty ports of China, but the Chinese always take care to bake it 

 before export, so that the tree is unknown out of the country. 



Borneo Camphor.— I have had another disappointment in the failure to germinate of seeds 

 of a very interesting plant — the camphor tree of Borneo and Sumatra {Dryobalanops aromatica.) 

 After a good deal of difficulty. Dr. Treub, Director of the Buiteuzorg Gardens, succeeded in obtain- 

 ing these seeds from Sumatra, but all were quite dead before reaching Ceylon. This magnificent 

 tree is in no way allied to the ordinary camphor; its product is wholly consumed in China and 

 Japan, where it'fetciies a price equal to £4 or £5 per pound, and consequently never finds its way 

 into European commerce. 



^'■Mysore'' Cardamom.— \xi my last report I mentioned under this name a variety of the 

 ordinary Elettaria Cardamomum, differing merely in having the raceme of flowers carried up from the 

 base to the summit of the leafy stem, an accident which occurs occasionally in other allied species 

 of Zingiberaceii3. I now find that I was misinformed as to this being the variety known by plan- 

 ters here as " Mysore" cardamom. That plant presents differences other than tlie one above 

 noted. These are the following, so far as I have yet been able to observe:— the leaves are distinct- 

 ly stalked, the petiole being about one inch long; the blade is broader than in the Malabar form, and 

 quite smooth (not pubescent) beneath, and the ligule is decidedly larger; the flower-raceme comes 

 off from the usual place —the base of the leafy shoot, but is stiff and erect, instead of prostrate, on 

 the soil. I have not had an opportunity yet of examining the flowers or fruit. It is clearly a 



