May I, 1883.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 931 



the demarcation and conservancy of natural forests, tliere is a large field for enterprise in the 

 systematic formation of plantations of timber trees. Teak can be grown over large portions of 

 the Southern, We.steru, and Central Provinces, and sandalwood in the drier parts of the last 

 mentioned. In diifereut ways these are the most profitable woods known. But there are other 

 substances besides timber yielded by forest trees which are not suited for private culture. Such 

 are most of the India-rubbers, especially Hevca and Castilloa, and such even more markedly are 

 the gutta perchas, for which a large demand must arise before long. These products appear to 

 me eminently suitable for cultivation by a Forest Deimrtment as a source of revenue. The utili- 

 zation of waste lands should also be considered in this connection, either in the way of re- 

 afforesting where possible, or by the cultivation of other products, such as some of the fibres above 

 alluded to, or others suitable for paper-making. 



V. — Herbarium and Library. 

 Herbarium.— The arrangement of the herbarium of Ceylon plants has been completed during 

 the year. The specimens are now mounted on thick white paper, properly arranged and nearly 

 all written up ; the collection is thus in perfect order for reference. Numerous additions have 

 been laid into their places. During this work, which has engaged much of my time, a number of 

 extra specimens have been removed from the herbarium, forming a fair series of authentic dupli- 

 cates ; these I am about to send to Hakgala for the Superintendent's assistance in learning the 

 names of the native plants. 



I made two expeditions for collecting during the year, one to Horton Plains, Bilhul-oya, 

 &c., the other to Hambantota, Kirinda, and the neighbourhood. The latter little-known district 

 afforded me over twenty species previously unrecorded from Ceylon. I have to thank the Govern- 

 ment Agents and Assistants for their kind aid in furthering my objects. 



The general herbarium is making good progress. The plants are now arranged in their 

 genera as far as to the end of the monopetalae, nearly two-thirds of the whole. Four new cabinets 

 have been set up towards their accommodation. 



During my visit home I was permitted by the Director of Kew Gardens to select a number 

 of duplicate sets of plants from the herbarium, and these have since been received here. They 

 comprise plants from Algeria, collected by Munby ; from Sikkim, by Treutler ; from the Malay 

 Peninsula, by Griffith and Heifer ; from Formosa, by Oldham ; from Fiji, by Home ; and from 

 Brazil, by Glaziou ; also a portion of the late General Munro's herbarium, and a set of cinchonas 

 from the Nilgiri plantations collected by Dr. Bidie. 



To Mr. C. B. Clarke, of the Bengal Education Department, I am indebted for a set of 

 duplicates of part of his large Indian herbarium. 



Little progress towards a Museum of vegetable economic products, &c., has as yet been 

 made. I find that this climate requires that all specimens be preserved in close glass-stoppered 

 bottles, or they rapidly fall a prey to damp, mould, and insects. The expense of these it has 

 hitherto been impossible to afford. I am, however, bringing together specimens as opportunity 

 occurs, and fully intend to get this useful adjunct to a botanic garden into proper shape as 

 soon as possible. I take this opportunity of saying how gratefully I should receive suitable 

 specimens towards this collection. 



Librari/.— Many valuable books have been acquired during the year. Of these, several 

 were presented by the executors of the late Dr. Thwaites (whose lamented death occurred on the 

 11th September), and in addition to the books is a valuable series of original drawings. These 

 consist of dissections of the flowers, &c., of Ceylon plants by Dr. Thwaites, and represent much of his 

 work in our native flora upon which the " Enumeratio" was based. This series has been placed 

 in the herbarium and is available for use by students of Ceylon botany along with the dried 

 specimens themselves. 



The following have been the additions to the Library during the year :— 

 Triaua, Recherches nonvelles sur les Quinquinas, 1870. 

 Veitch, Manual of the Conifera3, 188L 



Clarke, C. B., Commelinaceae et CyrtanJraceoe Bengalenses, 1874. {Presenlrd.) 

 Treub, Anuales du Jardin Botanique do Buitenzorg, Vol. 11., Part 1, and Vol. Ill, Part 1, 



1881-2. {Presented.) 

 Beccari, Malesia, Parts 2 and 3, 1877-8. {Presented.) 

 Hooker, J. D., Students' Flora of the British Islands, 1870. {Presented.) 

 Hooker and Baker, Synopsis Filicum, Ed. 2, 1874. 

 Mitten, Musci Indiaj Orientalis, 1859. {Presented.) 



