342 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Nov. 2, 1885. 



merouB winding paths, are such plants as Begonias, 

 Primroses, Cowslips, and a few other plants, including 

 several of the native terrestrial Orchids and on 

 niiiny of t)ie trees, which are left for shade, are fixed 

 epiphytal native orchids and lycopods. 



Passing out of the fernery down a path some 40 

 or 50 yards long with rock borders on each side, 

 planted with similar plants to those in the fernery, and 

 looking to the right just before leaving this, two 

 young plants of Australian tree ferns Dichsuiiia 

 untarctUa, are seen, one on each side of the rivulet 

 which crosses underneath the path at this point. 

 These tree ferns, although they are young ones, 

 show how very much stouter the Australian tree- 

 ferns grow than those in Ceylon, though for grace 

 and beauty it is hardly possible to beat the Ceylon 

 species, Ahujiltilu ii-inita, which Col. Beddome, the 

 illustrator of the Ferns of British India and Ceylon 

 says is the finest of all the Asiatic tree ferns. 



Coming out into the drive again the visitor comes to 

 the junction of four ways, and on turning down to the 

 left for about 30 yards a handsome plant of the 

 John-Crow-bush of Jamaica, Bocconia fnitcsceim, 

 is seen. The foliage is in shape very like that of 

 the jakwood tree, but is much lighter in colour 

 and is softer. At the present time this plant, which 

 is about 12 feet high, is loaded with over two 

 dozen large bunches of flowers and fruit, the bunches 

 being from 1 to 2 feet long. Retracing this 30 

 yards and continuing up the road to near the 

 superintendent's bungalow and looking to the right, 

 near the thermometer shed, is to be seen a large 

 handsome specimen of Piiius loniiifuUa. This tree 

 is iO to 50 feet high and its long needle-shaped 

 leaves — 10 to 14 inches long and 1 line broad — 

 make it quite a feature in this part of the garden. 



Bunning parallel with the superintendent's bung- 

 alow is a terraced flower-garden with the beds cut 

 out in turf and planted with such plants as pansies, 

 violets, geraniums, verbenas, phlox, petunias, mig- 

 nonette, ttc, itc. Passing on across the tlower- 

 garden and up the steps the propagating-house is 

 reached. This house is filled with a great variety 

 of plants, chiefly in the rearing stage, and a lew 

 stock plants of tender kinds. A curious and in- 

 teresting fern will be noticed hanging up in the 

 middle of the house. This fern, Platycerhim (jraiuJe, 

 is known by the name of elkhorn fern. The top 

 part of the frond very much resembles the horn of 

 the elk. Among other interesting plants here is 

 Osmantlms iUcifvlius, a Japanese shrub with leaves 

 exactly like those of the variegated holly. From 

 the path in front of tlie propagating-house a good 

 view is obtained of the rose garden and some very 

 pretty peeps of the Tjva and BaduUa mountains. 

 Turning to the right near the flower-garden the 

 path leads to the plant sheds, three in number, 

 which are filled with a great variety of plants 

 for distribution. To the right of these sheds is a 

 bed of the medicinal jalap, Exuyoninm purya. It 

 grows and flowers remarkably well, but does not 

 make many tubers, which, of course, is the main 

 thing from a commercial point of view. The ele- 

 vation is evidently too low. It is, however. 11 \ery 

 pretty creeper and grows rapidly. A little further 

 on from this is the nursery garden in which a large 

 stock of plants are kept in beds for distribution 

 of ornamental trees, fruits, shrubs and garden plants. 

 Near this nursery, growing over a large rock, is 

 a large plant of " cho-cho," Hcchinm ediile, a veget- 

 able resembling a vegetable marrow, recently in- 

 troduced from the West Indies. The plant is 

 thoroughly established and promises to become a 

 very useful addition to the mountain vegetables ; the 

 same may be said of the '* arracaolia," --Irn/tv/c/ia 

 esculenla, which is growing near by. Also near this are 



plants of the '' tree toma.to," Cyphomaiidm hetacea, 

 which is thriving very well indeed, plants only a 

 little over 18 months old are 9 ft. in height and 

 bearing a gocd crop of fruit. A short path from 

 the nursery leads into the rose garden, which is 

 laid out in a large circle and planted with about 

 80 different kinds of roses. Opposite this is a bank 

 planted with 120 different kinds of trees and shrubs, 

 among which is the Knglish laurel, lilac, laburnum, 

 box, heath, berberis, broom, strawberry tree, winter 

 bark, red trumpet tree, azalea, black and red cur- 

 rants, tSrc, &c. 



Going down the path from the N.E. outlet of the 

 rose garden and crossing the new drive and on down 

 the Uttle path for about 80 yards, the visitor comes 

 to the picnic arbour which faces the Uva 

 country. More of the lladulsima hills can be 

 seen from here than from any other point in the 

 garden. The tops of the church and new mission- 

 house at Haputale can be distinctly seen from this, 

 and the road winding through the rolling and beauti- 

 ful XJva patanas to BaduUa can be made out in 

 several places. Looking to the N.W. from this point 

 is to be seen a fine stretch of unbroken forest 

 which is in great contrast to the patana view 

 looking to the east and south-east. 



Turning back over the same gi'oimd into the new 

 drive and crossing it again, and going on along 

 the winding path through the shrubbery to- 

 wards the little summer arbour, and when " about 

 half way, looking to the right, is a large speci- 

 men of the Abyssinian Banana — Musa Eiisete' — with 

 leaves 10 to 12 ft. long and two feet or more broad. 

 The midrib of these large leaves being a deep red 

 colour sets off the leaf to great advantage. This 

 species is said to be the largest Banana in the 

 world, a full grown plant has a trunk some 20 

 ft. high and leaves from l(j to 20 ft. long. The 

 bunch of fruit is large and handsome but is not 

 edible. Near this are some young plants of the 

 West Indian "Cherimoyer" — Anoiui (iu-rimulia — a de- 

 licious fruit, in size and shape like" Sweet Sop" but 

 very superior in flavor to that fruit, and said by the 

 Creoles of the West Indies to be the most delicious fruit 

 in the world. It is also by some called the 

 forbidden fruit of the Garden of Eden. A hundred 

 yards or so from this is a plant of the true English 

 Oak, and a few yards farther on, tlie ornamental 

 pond, and the sexangular shaped arbour is reached. 

 The arbour is covered with Chinese honeysuckle. 

 Looking across the water a very fine view of Hakgala twin 

 rook is obtained. This is one of the prettiest spots 

 in the garden, the reflection of these rocks, which are 

 1,500 ft. higher than the pond, is often very 

 plainly to be seen in the water. Planted round 

 the pond are several interesting plants, among them 

 being the wedding flower — ilonra Robinwiiiana so 

 named by Mr. Moore of the Sydney Botanic 

 (jardens in honor of Sir Hercules Eobinson — 

 from Lord Howe's Island, very like a gigantic 

 Iris ; one llower spike contains from 120 to 200 

 blooms which come out a few at a time but only last 24 

 hours; the plant is in llower for several months. Cerem 

 iliyaiitcus is another interesting plant here which 

 Howered freely last year and is again sho\ving a 

 number of flower buds. The flower is about six 

 inches in diameter, white and sweetly scented, but 

 unfortunately it opens in the night and the beauty 

 is all gone by i) or 10 o'clock in the morning — 

 other plants to be noticed here are Mountain Papaw — 

 Ccirka cuiliiininarceiii'is — the common and variegated 

 New Zealand Uax and the tree fuchsia — Viuli.sia 

 iirloreii, wliich when in llower is very ranch like 

 the lilac and has often been taken for that plant. 

 Leaving the pond to the right, taking the path to the 

 left the visitor again enters the new drive, and just 



