xii Introduction. 



invaluable. Living in the jungle, far from doctors 

 and apothecaries' shops, with a large number of 

 comparatively helpless human beings dependent on 

 his care, the man of good feeling will feel it a high 

 privilege to be able to relieve the numerous cases 

 of sickness and suffering which must constantly 

 come under his notice ; and those planters who thus 

 thoughtfully regard the subject, will find in Dr. Mair's 

 prescriptions, sufficient to enable them to become 

 the instruments, not only of relieving much suffering, 

 but probably also of saving many lives. 



In order to be on the safe side, I have usually 

 named in the text the authorities from whence 

 extracts or quotations are derived ; I may here, 

 however, recapitulate those quoted in the original 

 work : 



Laborie's Coffee Planter of St. Domingo. 



Abridgment of ditto by Higginbotham. 



" W." Pruning. 



Wall on Manuring. 



Dr. Shortt's Handbook. 



Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Gardening. 



Rhirid's Vegetable Kingdom. 



Willich's Encyclopaedia. 



Chambers' ditto. 



I have also had the advantage of referring to 

 Ferguson's Ceylon Directory (1875), a really mar- 

 vellous compendium of useful information relating 

 to that most charming and, for its size, richest 

 dependency of the Crown. 



