September, 1908.] 



257 



Horticulture. 



in Negombo; from this I have now half- 

 dozen trees growing round the lake at 

 Kandy and in other places in Kandy — 

 one in front of the Kachcheri. 



I introduced this tree into Jaffna in 

 1903, and left two growing very well in 

 the Park in 1906. 



The Parkia Roxburghii is the third 

 splendid shade tree not mentioned by 

 Mr. Macmillan. It shoots up straight for 

 20 feet or so, and then throws out 

 branches. It was introduced by the late 

 Colonel Byrde, Secretary of the Munici- 

 pality, into Kandy about 25 years ago, 

 and there is a fine, though short, avenue 

 of the trees planted by him in Ward 

 Street, between the National and Mercan- 

 tile Banks, which has completely trans- 

 formed that street from a glaring white 

 thoroughfare into a shady boulevard. 



I introduced it into Jaffna and Vavu- 

 niya in 1903-4 from seed obtained 

 from these trees, and left two plants 

 growing well in the Park at Jaffna in 

 1906, and one at least at Vavuniya, The 

 dry climate did not seem to affect them 

 injuriously. 



The resemblance between the maho- 

 gany and the margosa, to which, I believe, 

 it is allied, is very striking. The mar- 

 gosa is the distinguishing tree of the 

 Jaffna Peninsula and Islands, but it is 

 almost useless planting it as an orna- 

 mental tree, as it is ruthlebsly "barked" 

 by the people for medicine. I have had 

 the same experience here with the two 

 or three na trees growing in the lake 

 round. 



The only redeeming feature at Cal- 

 pentyn, besides the Fort aud the lagoon, 

 is its avenue of margosa trees. 



Would tarring the bark for 8 or 10 feet 

 hurt the tree? It would be unsightly 

 perhaps, but not more unsightly than 

 che bark scored with wounds all round ; 

 and if it put a stop to this and helped to 

 preserve a beautiful tree, it would be 

 worth doing. I am going to try corru- 



gated iron cylinders encircling the na 

 trees, and should be glad of any hints 

 as to how to stop the practice. 



The Spaihodea was introduced into 

 Negombo by Mr. E. M. Byrde, a.g.a., in 

 1881, and the Jacaranda mimoscefolia 

 (see Mr, Macmillan's paper) by the writer 

 in 1892-1894. I planted a good many 

 Spathodea and Pehimbiya (Filicium de- 

 cipiens, a fourth tree which, though a 

 jungle tree, is well worth planting for 

 ornament owing to its handsome fern- 

 like foliage) on the Esplanade there. 



I introduced the former into Vavuniya 

 in 1889-1890, but tailed to get it to grow 

 in Jaffna. Jaffna possesses one pehimbiya 

 in the Park, and the largest Nelli tree 

 (Phyllanthus emblica) I have seen, but I 

 suppose planted by Mr. Dyke, who 

 collected trees of every kind to plant in 

 the Park. The latter tree is for months 

 leafless, but the rest of the year flourishes 

 like the green bay tree. The pehimbiya 

 does not flourish — the ends of the bran- 

 ches die off. 



Mr. Dyke also introduced the "Sissoo" 

 tree from India into Jaffna in 1843, but 

 the climate did not suit it, and the few 

 trees left in 1902 looked very shuck and 

 died off. I doubt whether one is now 

 left. I do not know the scientific name 

 of this tree; * it is a good timber tree. 



Seeing that so many miles by road in 

 Jaffna and the Jaffna Peninsula are 

 planted with the Suriya or tulip tree 

 (Thespesia pnpulnea) and its prominence 

 in all sea-side towns in the Island, I 

 think it might have been worthy of 

 being included in the list. It is very 

 handsome in December, when it is in 

 flower. The only objections to it are the 

 fact that it harbours a peculiarly ob- 

 noxious hairy caterpillar and is the prey 

 of the Kuruvichchai (Loranthus). It is 

 a godsend in hot, dry, wind-swept 

 places. I have seen it growing at the 

 tanks at Aden. 



* Dalbergia Sissoo. — Ed, 



33 



