444 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [Dec. i, 1885, 



Ciiwiita sp, (most likely C. trifoUi, Bab.). This plant 

 appeared in two fields of lucerne, near Durban, and 

 specimens were sent to me for identification. Notice 

 was sent to the local papers urging that every effort 

 should be made to exterminate the plant, and recom- 

 mouding that all lucerne seed should be carefully sifted 

 before sowiug. I learn that in Mauritius a plant of 

 this genus threaten.^ to do cousideralile damage, and I 

 therefore hope that farmers and planters will keep 

 a good look-out, and destroy all plants of this nature 

 wherever they may he found iu their crops. It may 

 be as well to mention that we have two, or p,;rhaps 

 more, indigenous Cn.-.cata.i, one of which bears a close 

 resemblance to C. Iri/olii ; but I have not yet heard 

 that this plant has been found in cultivated crops. 



The other pest referred to is an FrtUaiio (U deslmens 

 Duby). This parasite has attacked the native grass 

 (Cliloii.i i-oinjii-raxn). usually planted for lawns, and I 

 have been informed that in some places, the grass 

 lias lieeu killed by it. It has made its appearance in 

 the Gardens, but lias yet not to any serious extent ; it 

 is being carefully watched, and should it increase or 

 threaten to damage the lawns, an attempt will be made 

 to destroy it, and the results duly made known. 



f'i'ilreln (hloiiitn. — A tree iu the Gardens which I 

 found without name attached, flowered near the close 

 of 188*2, and examination sliowed it to be this plant, 

 but for further certainty I forward specimens to Ivew. 

 The Assistant Director, in reply, says, "This is the 

 West Indian Cedar, the wood of which is so much 

 iu request for the manufacture of cigar boxes." Tliis 

 is a handsome tree, and appears, so far as I can 

 judge, not to be a favourite with white ants, and its 

 gi-owth seems to be almost as rapid as that of most 

 Eucalypti, We have been successful in rearing plants 

 both from seed grown in the Gardens, and also from 

 seed sent to us from Kew, and the plants have been 

 distributed to different parts of the Colony, with the 

 view of testing the suitability of different soils and 

 districts to the growth of the tree. We have a large 

 number of distribution now on hand. 



Perinit me to add to my report that I think that 

 a number of Railway Sleepers should be tried by our 

 Govermuent from Gvm Trees grown in the Colony. 

 The trees should be identified before being felled, or 

 in consequence of the confusion in the popular names 

 of the Eucalypti no reliable result can be expected. 

 I am convinced that all the replacement sleepers re- 

 quired for all our lines of railway can be grown by 

 ourselves in the Colony to the Colony's profit and 

 advantage ; and to this end I offer to co-operate fully 

 with the Committee of the Society. 



The attempt to form a Jioiteetr, on the slope beyond 

 the conservatory, resulted iu complete failure. Sixty 

 Kose plants were set out in sjiring of 1883, but before 

 the winter (1884) was over, all, except two or three 

 of the commonest kinds, had been destroyed by white 

 ants, in spite of all our endeavours to preserve them. 

 Tlie piece of ground laid out for the Roses has been 

 filled with other plants. We are now attempting to 

 grow a few Roses in tubs : each tub" stands upon a 

 square block of concrete, in which four glass bottles 

 are ciiibcddcd, bottom upwards, upon which the tub 

 stands. So far, this method has been successful ; 

 we have not found that the ants in any one case 

 have reached tlie tubs. We have therefore placed 

 the large pots containing our Tree lierns on similar 

 blocks, and believe they will be safe from the ants 

 in future. The concrete blocks are made at the 

 Gardens at a very moderate cost, and with ordinary 

 care are almost indestructible. The unsightly steps 

 in the main avenue, which had been formed of tree 

 trunlis, have been reidaced by concrete blocks, also 

 made by cnir own people. The improvomcut is well 

 worth tlie small expense incurred. Tlie Ciuisirrahini 

 and Fetiieni have been well attended to, and tlio 

 display of plants from these Gardens at the Horti- 

 cultural Society's show, November, 1881, suHicieutly 

 marked improvements iu this direction, and Iiorc 

 W'it;iess to the skill and care of the Head Gardener. 

 The Fenterii is already too small to contain our col- 

 lection, increased from less than '20 species, which 

 were in cultivation 3 years ago, to about 1(10 species, 

 nil of which are growing vigorously. I intend adding 



to this number whenever opportunity occurs. It will 

 therefore be necessary either to enlarge the present 

 temporary building or to erect another of a somewhat 

 similar character, audi hope to be able before the 

 close of the wmter, 1885, to make some addition of 

 this kind. 



A PROSPERING CEYLON PLANTATION 

 COMPANY. 



It is with no ordinary satisfaction that we reprint 

 the past year's Report- of the "Scottish Trust and 

 Loan Company of Ceylon, Limited," wbicli was 

 laid before a meeting of the shareholders in Edin- 

 burgh on the 28th ult. It tells its own story in 

 a very suociuet business-like waf, and that story 

 is of steadily reviving prosperity in the planting 

 industry of Ceylon. The Company may well be 

 congratulated on the result of the past year's 

 operations and on their prospects. The estates 

 which they have been obliged to take over, and 

 which stand in their books at the sum of .t;i2,771, 

 have earned for them during the year the sum of 

 £5,915, or considerably more than 10 per cent, and 

 if the Company only continue to do justice in 

 cultivation and to extend; tea judiciously, while 

 very wisely maintaiuing intact all good coli'ee and 

 cinchona, there can be no doubt that in a few- 

 years their profits from the estates they hold 

 ought to be considerably larger. iUessrs. Cumber- 

 batch A' Co. are evidently doing all the justice in 

 their power to the properties and business of the 

 Company. We extract from the report at length, 

 because it is of interest to this commuity gener- 

 ally :— 



In accordance with the resolution passed at last 

 General Meeting, the date of balance lias been clianged 

 to 31st August, and the Accounts from 30th Septem- 

 ber 1834 to 31st Augiist 188.5 are submitted liorewith. 



Though slow, the improvement iu the condition 

 and prospects of Ceylon has steadily continued ; Coffee 

 and Cinchona are commanding better prices, while 

 Ceylon Tea has already established itself firinlv in 

 public estimation, and promises to he a very import- 

 ant factor in the future prosperity of the "Island. 



As foreshadowed in the last Report, in comiectiou 

 with the failure of the Oriental Bonk Corporation, 

 the Directors have had to take over three other 

 Estates, in order to protect the Company's advances 

 and insure proper cijtivation. 



Consideriug the state of these Properties when 

 taken over, the result of the years opperations is 

 encouraging. '\STiile Alnwick, "as in the last year, 

 has contributed the great portion of the Profit, three 

 other estates have been fairly remunerative, and 

 two more — Kaipoogala and ."'udallie— would have 

 shown credit balances had it not been for the lieavy 

 expenses of foreclosiure etc. (i'tiLS, Gs lid), which 

 appeared iu last year's Balancc-Sheet under Sus- 

 pense Account, and are now written off. 



The estates in the Company's hands are entered in 

 the Balance-Sheet at the net amount of tlie original 

 loans respectively; all arrears of interest, together with 

 the expenses of foreclosure to date, having been 

 written off. 



All the Company's estates have been reported on as 

 suitable for Tea cultivation, .and already 8(X) acres 

 have been planted up. Some return may be expected 

 next year, but the bulk of the Tea now' planted will 

 not come into full bearing until 1887-88. The Directors 

 intend to continue the extension of Tea planting, but 

 at the same time they will use their best endeavours 

 to maintain the cultivation of the existing products- 

 Coffee and Cinchona — where their growth is found to 

 yield satisfactory results. 



The iutcrost on mortg.ages has been well met. With 

 the exception of £166, 13s 4d, the interest in an-ear 

 has since the close of the aocouut, been either paid or 



