January i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



5S9 



effects of wind in colombo on 

 oena\;ental trees. 



A walk round the lake and a look at tlie clumps 

 of yellow bamboos in the grounds attached to the 

 Major-CJeneral's residence, on the lakeside, Colombo, 

 will afford strong evidence of the blighting effects 

 of the sti'ong, salt-laden winds which, for a large 

 portion of the year sweep over Colombo. The 

 saline breezes which are life to human beings, 

 mean sickness or death to many forms of vege- 

 tation. That the bamboos grown in the General's 

 grounds are of the yellow variety is shewn by per- 

 haps one or two clean stems in each clump. The 

 rest are thickly coated with a dirty dark coloured 

 blight ; tliat whicli accompanies the brown scale in- 

 sect, probably, for a larierstrdmia tree close by, on 

 the margm of the lake, has its foliage blackened 

 by this blight after a fashion perfectly funereal. A 

 tree of the same species, not twenty feet distant, has 

 a luxuriant coat of green and pinkish foliage, per- 

 fectly untainted, but we fear its turn is commg. 

 We have watched for years with interest the care- 

 ful and repeated attempts made to grow hu/ersfri/mias 

 and other ormamental trees around the border of 

 that section of our tri-furcated lake, which divides 

 KoUupitya from Slave Island, and our regret at see- 

 ing the destruction or miserable dwarfing, in suc- 

 cession, of every tree not thoroughly sheltered from 

 the bitter blasts, has been keen in proportion to our 

 desire for success. The only trees, — layei-itrtiniiav at 

 any rate, which made any growtli were those placed 

 on the lee side of promontories so as to be sheltered 

 from the south-west winds. Such is the case with 

 tile trees to the eastward of the General's house 

 but what the wind spared, the coocus and its at- 

 tendant bliglit seen; bent on destroying. A sight 

 of the laijcrsfrdmia rfr/ina which was recently in full 

 blossom near the Cinnamon Gardens Band Stand, was 

 enougli to prove the additional beauty which would be 

 added to the vegetation of Colombo, could the pur- 

 ple and pink blossoms of the lagerstromia be mingled 

 and contrasted with the blazing scarlet and orange 

 flowers of Poindanu regia, the Madagascar flambean 

 tree and the golden florescence of recently introduced 

 cassias. But it is those who liave visited the capital 

 of Java who have the most vivid idea of the splen- 

 did effect of rows of well-gl■o^^^l lar/erstromkis in full 

 blossom. 'Ihey and the JioiKjamvUlias give brilliancy 

 to Batavia. That city is just about the latitude 

 south that Colombo is north of the equator 

 and the climate does not differ greatly from 

 ours. But instead of being fully exposed to the 

 sea breeze (the sea is said to liave receded fully a 

 mile in less than three centuries, ) Batavia enjoys per- 

 fect shelter. The main enjoyment, however, is in 

 connection with the vegetable world, for, sheltered 

 Batavia is as insanitary as wind swept Colombo is 

 salubrious. As we stood in admiration of the gloM'- 

 ing lagemtrOmias and Bouf/aiiirilhan in tlie Uutch 

 colonial capital, tlie feeling was qualified by the 

 sight of '• the mourners going about tlie streets," 

 for 300 per diem out of a population of about 

 200,000 were being swept off by an epidemic of cholera, 

 — not an infrequent visitant. If it were not for the 

 strong sea-breezes, which are purifying as well as de- 

 structive, we in Colombo could grow many flowering plants 

 ill exposed places which arc now absent ; but, the 

 we should probably be chronically suffering from 

 fever and cholera. \Ve ought therefore,, to be thank- 

 ful for health to enable us to enjoy the rich and 

 75 



varied vegetation which flourishes In spite of the 

 sea iireezes, an<i which has been the admiration of 

 all strangers since Prince Soltykoff' described ( 'olomlio 

 as a vast botanic garden. A special object of admir- 

 ation to all visitors is the yellow-leaved variety of 

 " the .Java cabbage :" (we saw not a single specimen 

 in Java, although to our amazement we did see 

 hibisais tUiaceiis growing alongside the roads, up 

 to an altitude of 4,000 teet and of the dimensions 

 of a large forest tree !) When we are asked, as we 

 constantly are, for " the botanical name of tliat 

 beautiful plant which adds such brightness to your 

 scenery?" we repl}', "It used to be I'isoiiia nlha. 



The bright yellow-leaved P'lson'ia is one of the few 

 trees which withstand the see-breeze, and to such 

 trees, and there are a good many of them, special 

 attention ouglit to be directed. Prejudice has re- 

 cently been excited against the ''cabbage trees" as 

 generators of fever, &c. If kept properly trimmed 

 we believe they are just as promotive of health as 

 they are suggestive of the sense of the beautiful. 

 There are of course parts of Colombo, well sheltered, 

 where the kirierstrdmida can be grown so as to de- 

 light beholders with theii- grand and abundant spikes 

 of brilliant blossoms. We seem to have only two 

 varieties amongst our indigenous flora. In Java, 

 varieties abound and there is, close to the entrance 

 of the Buitenzorg Botanic Gardens, a specimen tree 

 with exquisitely beautiful blossoms of a lavender 

 colour, named after a former Goveraor-General, 

 larjerslrOmia Louilonii. If not yet in Ceylon it ought 

 to be introduced. And why should not a few of 

 the fine yellow-blossomed casma JIm-ida of our jungles 

 be seen in our avenues ? It is tlie predominant tree 

 in Madras and no one there exclaims " Wa !" when 

 it is mentioned. 



The grand palm, the "Talipot," which is the 

 special glory of Ceylon, is far too rare in Colombo 

 gardens, while we do not know of a specimen along- 

 side our fiue Municipal roads. Few objects strike 

 strangers more than the fine young talipot in Mara- 

 dana, in front of the house which once I eloiigf d to 

 "Iniquity Marshall" and then to the Stork fniiily. 

 But this palm — that which is stamped on our coin- 

 age — ought to be seen in all stages all over tlje 

 town. 



TEA AND CLIMATE IN INDIA AND CI'YLON. 



The Indian Tea Gazette in noticing the discussion 

 on the probable rate of bearing per acre of tea in 

 Ceylon, very naturally denounces " Cha's " estimates 

 of 700 lb. for low estates and 400 lb. for high, as 

 exaggerated. Time will shew ; but no time is needed 

 to elapse in order to shew the incorrectness of the 

 premises on which the Indian editor argues. He 

 states : " ])erhaps Darjeeling and the Dooais would 

 best represent the high and low elevations, respectively, 

 at which tea can be successfully culti\'ated in Ceylon ; 

 and the climatic conditions of the plac(.i named are 

 almoxt identicul." The meaning of the passage we 

 have italicised is, of course, that the climate of the 

 Dooars is identical with that of the low country of 

 Ceylon in which tea is cultivated, and that the climate 

 of Darjeeling is the counterpart of that of our 

 hill country. To shew how baseless this state- 

 ment is, we need merely mention, that at this moment 

 and always in the season between November and 

 March, the lieavily pruned tea of the Easteni Hima- 

 layas, is enjoying the rest of a very pronounced winter, 

 while it is in those very months that tea in Cejdon 

 yields its most luxuriant flushes. The difference of 



