3 



for practically there have been only three or four cultivations of any 

 importance to European planters in this country, coffee, coconuts 

 and rubber, to which we may add nutmegs and cloves, while Ceylon 

 linger under cultivation has had plantations of almost every tropical 

 economic plant for many years and though many of these have nearly 

 died out there are still estates of all kinds of economic plants which 

 require protection. As a matter of fact Jamaica and some other 

 countries went further even than Ceylon and either would not allow 

 any plants at all to be introduced from other countries where diseases 

 occurred or had all introduced plants disinfected thoroughly on their 

 arrival. 



Dr. Willis uses the word external for legislation dealing with 

 plants, letc, introduced from other countries and internal for legisla- 

 tion only affecting the cultivations already in the country. 



External legislation is apt to cause annoyance and hardship 

 unless reasonably carried out, but it seems in some countries the 

 officials whose business it is to administer the law are quite incapable 

 of doing so at all rationally. We hear of a consignment of living 

 plants kept uncared for till they are dead, or disinfected so carelessly 

 as to completely kill them, plants (even old dried herbarium speci- 

 mens) refused admission to the country for fear of introducing 

 Phylloxera, though there is not a vine in the country of export nor 

 owing to the climate would it be possible for Phylloxera to live there. 

 All such legislation should be not only framed by scientific men but 

 carried out if possible by them or if not, by thoroughly-trained and 

 intelligent officers. It is essential that new plants of economic use 

 should be introduced into different countries and equally imported to 

 avoid in-breeding, at the same time as much care as possible should 

 be taken not to bring in diseased plants. The question of the intro- 

 duction of plants which, by reason of their taking thoroughly to the 

 country, may become a nuisance is one of the most difficult subjects 

 to decide. A plant which in one country grows to such an extent as 

 to be injurious to the agriculturist may in apparently similar condi- 

 tions in another country hardly grow at all or at least prove quite 

 harmless. The Mexican poppy Arf^emone Mexicana has proved in 

 many countries a pestilential weed, and it was with some care I 

 watched its growth when we introduced it as an ornamental plant. It 

 grew, fruited well, and occasionally reappeared again in a feeble way 

 after the death of the original plant, but showed no signs of becoming 

 a nuisance at all. The water hyacinth Eichornia crassipes which has 

 been so injurious in blocking waterways in Florida and Australia- 

 grows well here, and has been cultivated by the Chinese first for its 

 flowers and later for pig food. It does not appear to be at all aggres- 

 sive and exposure to full sun causes it to be weak and die. It does 

 not seem to be at all establishing itself as a river pest. Like 

 Limnocharis Plumierii introduced many years ago from America and 

 now spread over the whole Peninsula as far north at least as Perils, 

 EicJwrnia might choke up ditches or abandoned ricefields, but if it did 



