360 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1882. 



local circumstances of each particufer case, frequently 

 contain some matter of general interest. It is pleasant 

 to see liow in the older colonies the value and import- 

 ance of such institutions is in general fairly recognised. 

 Such institutions have several distinct but mutually con- 

 nected functions to fulfil. They are, or ought to be, great 

 educational institutions \phereiu the student should find 

 the means of studying the vegetation of the country, and 

 of selected representatives of the flora of other countries, 

 sucli as it may be possible to cultivate. 



"When we speak of educational institutions we do not 

 limit the term to pure science, the demand for which, 

 and the means for which must, as a rule, both be small 

 iu the colonies ; but we would include also the practical 

 applications of Ijotany, such as the merchant and the planter 

 would appreciate, and the horticultural and agricultural 

 element which contributes not only to the food and phy- 

 sical welfare of the population, but to the culture and 

 refined enjoyment of the people. These latter matters, 

 though less capable of direct estimation, are, in the long 

 run, fully as important to the general welfare of a country 

 as those the practical advantages of which are more im- 

 mediately apparent. Science looks to these establishments 

 for aid in the discovery, determination and distribution 

 of the native plants, for investigatiou as to the conditions, 

 climatal and otherwise, under which their cultivation can 

 be carried on — in fact, for the elucidation of all matters 

 connected with the flora of the country, its geographical 

 distribution, its natmral history, and its use for horticult- 

 ural or economic purposes. Services such as these are 

 available for the whole civilised world, and to render 

 them is, in a degree, to repay the advantages and bene- 

 fits conftz-rred by our common civilisation. 



Of more restricted but still vast importance are the 

 experiments which should alwaj's be carried out iu such 

 gardens — experiments having for their object the determin- 

 ation of what plants can be profitably introduced into 

 cultivation with a view to increase, not only the local 

 resources and wealth of the country, but the advantage 

 of the world at large. Wc need only specify what has 

 been done in the case of the Cinchona, and of the Tea- 

 plant in Intlia, to illustrate our meaning. 



In the third place, these gardens should contribute to 

 the welfare and gratification of the residents. This may 

 be done by keeping the gardens in such condition as to 

 be agreeable and sightly at all times ; they should furnish 

 evidences of taste and culture, such as cannot fail to be 

 beneficial, and which go far in the eyes of the public to 

 justify the expenditure. Public appreciation is likely to 

 be roused by the sight of a well-organised, well-main- 

 tained establishment, which, while contributing to the 

 recreation of the people, and cultivating their sense of 

 beauty, has, at the same time, a business-like aspect, which 

 appeals more directly to their sense of what is fitting. 



We have before us as we write recent reports of three 

 of these institutions, and if we advert to them only on 

 this occasion, it is with no intention of disparaging the 

 others. ^Yho could do so who lemembers the splendid 

 services rendered in India, in Melbourne, in Sydney, and 

 elsewhere, by botanic gardens and their Directors? 



Dr. Schomburgk's report on the Botanic Garden at Ade- 

 laide gives a \ivid pictiu-e of the difficulties of maintain- 

 ing a garden where great extremes of temperatiu'e and 

 humidity occur. In June and July the temperature on 

 several occasions was as low as 29 ° , the frost pro^-ing 

 very prejudicial to the tropical Figs and other plants. 

 In January, on the other hand, the weather was of a 

 torrid character — 112° in the shade and 180° iu the 

 sun ! not so much below boiling point — while the rainfall 

 for the entire year was only a little over 18 inches. A 

 large part of Dr. Schomburgk's report is occupied ^vith 

 details of the trials of varieties of AVlieat and fodder 

 plants. Certain Millets withstood the drought well, and 

 prove excellent for their purpose. The Oytisus proliferous 

 also is shown to be highly valuable as a forage plant in 

 South Australia. Vitis caHfornica is mentioned as valu- 

 able as resisting the Phylloxera, and, therefore, as likely 

 to be useful as a stock for grafting other Vines upon. 

 Flower farming for the purpose of the manufacture of 

 perfumes is alluded to as eminently suitable for South 

 Austraha, though at present init much practised. The Mu- 

 seum of Economic Botany is said to be highly api^recj. 



ated from the way in which the utilitarian side of botanical 

 and horticultural pursuits is brought home to thepublic. 



In this connection it is impossible to overlook the zeal 

 and energy shown by Baron Mueller at Melbourne for 

 the last quarter of a century, not only in scientifically 

 investigating the native flora, but also in seizing every 

 opportunity of showing by practical experiment the com- 

 mercial and economic value of plants. 



The terrestrial paradise at Peradehiya has, under the 

 care of Dr. Trimcu, been redeemed from the condition 

 of jungle to wliicli, from want of thinning, it was approx- 

 imating. The situation of this garden, and of the others 

 associated with it, is such that the introduction of Cin- 

 chonas has been carried to such an extent that Stjite aid 

 is no longer needed there to distribute tliis valuable tree, 

 the best varieties being now in general cultivation, thus 

 leaving space for trials with drugs, dyes, and other pro- 

 ducts, which Uiced to be tried. Mr. "Ward's researches into 

 the Coffee disease (Hemileia) have been successful in un- 

 ravelling the whole history of the pest, and of showing 

 the necessity for co-operation and united action on t he 

 part of the planters in the endeavour to stamp out, or 

 at least restrict, the disease. 



Ceylon seems to be favourably placed for the intro- 

 duction of the various " rubber plants," especially the 

 species of Landolphia which promise to be of such vast 

 commercial importance in the supply of caoutchouc. We 

 cannot now mention more as to the useful work carried 

 on in Ceylon, but we note the complaint of tlie Director 

 that he is called upon to sell Ferns, Orchids, &c., for 

 conveyance to England and elsewhere at a direct pecuniary 

 loss to the garden ; and, what is worse, at a sacrifice of 

 time and energy which should be devoted to more im- 

 portant and relevant matters. 



This leads us to speak of the third report on our 

 table, that of the Botanic Cardens at Cape Town under 

 the management of Mr. McOwan, a highly competent 

 botanist. The condition of the garden is, as some of our 

 own correspondents have informed us, and as is substanti- 

 ated in the report Ijofore us, far from satisfactory. Mr. 

 McOwan complains bitterly of deficient water supply, 

 without which it is obvious no garden can exist. Eucaljrp- 

 tus and other useful trees have, however, been largely 

 distributed, and a useful hint is given as to the possi- 

 bility of distining«i>irit from sugar Sorghum, in the event 

 of the introduction of the Phylloxera to the Cape, and 

 the consequent loss to the wine growers. But what strikes 

 us with nothing less than disgust is the fact that the 

 authorities have so little appreciation of what tluties a 

 botanic garden should perform, and what the work of 

 its Director should be, that we find the State neglecting 

 its proper business and undertaking that of the nursery- 

 man. The receipts and expenditure of the gaiden are 

 somewhere about £2.000 annually. Of the receipts, £500 

 are supplied by Government, £189 by private subscrip- 

 tions, leaving £1,300 or so to be raised from the sale of 

 plants and seeds ! So that here we have a highly talented 

 Director, capable of doing excellent public service, reduced 

 to the condition of a salesman, and the garden turned 

 into a nursery establishment, hard pressed in competition 

 with the local nurserymen, who complain on their side 

 of the illegitimate interference of C4ovcrnment with their 

 lawful calling. This is altogether a most humiliating state 

 of things, and the more to be deplored from the pecuHar 

 opportunities of furthering botany and horticulture, scien- 

 tific and economy, which a properly organised and equipped 

 establishment at the Cape has. At present, it seems, the 

 Botanic Garden does not and cannot miud its own busi- 

 ness, while its energies are vainly frittered in the attempt 

 to do what it has no right to meddle with. — Gardeners' 

 Chronicle. 



Landre anb Glindee^man, of Amsterdam, reporting on 

 American goods, say. — Coffee-^nilh are now disposed of in 

 considerable numbers, and giv-e general satisfaction. Coffee 

 hullincf and polishiuf/ machines. — A long-felt want of im- 

 proved machines for hul'ing and polishing coffee has lately 

 been supplied by the introduction here and at Kotterdam 

 of the "Santa Cruz Cofl'-e Huller," manufnctured at Lynn, 

 Mass. They are now in operation, and the indications 

 are that they will give complete satisfaction. — United States 

 Consiilai' Report. 



