Chap. V.j 



BOTANIC GARDENS. 



211 



the collection of fruits and products of aU kinds, for an 

 oeconomic museum of botany, should take upon himself 

 the selection of a Ubrary and the formation of a hortw^ 

 siccus for consultation and reference. These duties, to- 

 gether with his foreign correspondence and exchanges, 

 the reception of scientific strangers, the journeys of him- 

 self and his assistants to explore the country and collect 

 botanical specimens, and occasional pubhcations to excite 

 and sustain popular interest in liis pursuits, ought to con- 

 stitute the functions of a botanical officer, and no colony 

 can fail to reap the benefit of such labom^s if judiciously 

 discharged. 



But the dissatisfaction which has occasionally mani- 

 fested itself in Ceylon, arises not alone from a want of 

 due appreciation of tlie legitimate duties of a superin- 

 tendent, but also from an unreasonable expectation of 

 services not legitimately within his province. A know- 

 ledge of agriculture, horticultm^e, forestry, pliarmacy, 

 and toxicology have each been demanded, as well as the 

 philosophy of climates, tlie geologic nature of rocks and 

 soils, the chemistry of manures, and the oeconomic iiabits 

 of animals, birds, and insects ; and it is within my own 

 knowledge that from the coffee planters, there have been 

 remonstrances to the local government as to the propriety 

 of applpng pubhc funds for the maintenance of an insti- 

 tution from which, in regard to their own estates, they 

 had failed individually to obtain assistance in connection 

 with these and similar subjects.^ A man of generous 

 education may, no doubt, be more or less famihar with 

 such studies, but even if a scientific botanist felt cUffident 

 in propounding opinions or ofTermg dii'ections in re- 

 lation to them, his peculiar attaimnents must be of sio;nal 

 advantage in mothfying the views or facihtating tlie ope- 

 rations of others. So charming is the sphere of liis 

 duties, tliat those who cannot estimate then- importance 



* In some colonies, by a still more 

 imreasonable requirement, the cu- 

 rator of the botanic garden has been 



expected to grow vegetables for the 

 table of the governor, his officers, and 

 staff. 



p 2 



