Miscellaneous. 



252 



[September, Ml. 



nutmeg trees is planted near the 

 entrance — the trees about seventy years 

 old. On the ground under tbe trees 

 may be found the seeds, i.e., the nutmegs, 

 and around them a covering, the aril of 

 the botanist, which forms the spice 

 known as mace. Clove trees may be 

 seen also ; it is the young flower buds of 

 the tree which are dried to make the 

 cloves of commerce. In the garden one 

 may see the plants which furnish vanilla, 

 citronella oil, tea, indigo, pineapple, 

 ramie, sisal hemp and sago. Almost 

 countless trees there are of economic 

 importance. A few may be named, as 

 those which furnish coffee, chocolate, 

 cola, coconut, Brazil nut, camphor, 

 rubber, gamboge and other tropical 

 products. 



In speaking of economic plants mention 

 must be made of the Experiment Station 

 which is really a part of the garden, 

 although situated across the river. As 

 a matter of fact nearly all the world lies 

 across the river from the Peradeniya 

 Gardens, as these are situated in a bend 

 of the stream which flows first north, 

 then east, then south around the 

 gardens. Tbe Experiment Station was 

 formerly a private estate bought by the 

 gardens at a low price, because it had 

 been allowed to run down and the 

 chocolate trees nearly all became 

 diseased. Scientific methods of tending 

 and care have been introduced and a 

 model plantation developed. Here ex- 

 periments are made with new agricul- 

 tural crops and with new methods of 

 treatment. The different species of 

 trees furnishing rubber are being tried 

 as well as improved varieties of 

 chocolate, cardomoms and other crops. 

 Throughout Ceylon there is much general 

 interest in scientific agriculture, and the 

 Controller of the Experiment Station has 

 the encouragement and moral support of 

 the thinking population, both European 

 and native, The daily newspapers at 

 Colombo also give much attention to 

 such matters and assume a sympathetic 

 attitude toward Go\ernment scientific 

 work, in refreshing contrast to many of 

 the newspapers in this country. 



An attractive plot at Peradeniya is 

 the Kitchen Garden, in which are 

 assembled such "vegetables" as will 

 grow in that hot, moist climate. Many 

 of our common vegetables do well and 

 can be had at all seasons, for example, 

 beans, beets, peas, celery, lettuce, and 

 cress. Potatoes are generally small and 

 poor. Sweet corn will grow in Ceylou, 

 but has not thus far come into use. Of 

 tropical vegetables various " yams " are 

 much used, particularly by the natives. 

 The word "yam "is applied to tubers 



and thickened roots of many different 

 species of plants. Eggplants, different 

 from ours in the temperate zone, are 

 cultivated, also certain plants used for 

 " greens." Breadfruit trees produce the 

 large heavy fruits of that name, but 

 these would properly be classified among 

 vegetables. Breadfruit is not much 

 used by the British in Ceylon, who, in 

 fact, eat chiefly the same things that 

 they are accustomed to eat at home on 

 their own tight little island. 



Thus far we have been considering the 

 attractions of the Peradeniya Gardens 

 to the casual visitor. To the botanist 

 they are even more interesting. Every 

 facility is offered by the Director of 

 the Gardens for investigation by visiting 

 men of science. There is a good her- 

 barium in charge of competent Curators 

 and a working library of botanical 

 books and periodicals. Good laboratory 

 facilities are also offered. Although the 

 laboratory for visitors is not fully 

 equipped with physiological apparatus, 

 there are the usual necessaries, and it is 

 easy to obtain all ordinary supplies at 

 Kandy or Colombo. Native joiners, 

 tinsmiths and metal-workers can be 

 secured at very low rates to make arti- 

 cles needed. Photographic materials may 

 be obtained at Kandy, only three miles 

 away, and skilled photographers may 

 be engaged to develop negatives or do 

 other photographic work such as making 

 lantern slides. 



Opportunities for securing museum 

 material are excellent. Collections of 

 tropical woods properly named are pre- 

 pared to order by dealers in Kandy. 

 Plant material may be collected from 

 the garden and preserved in formal- 

 dehyde or alcohol. Herbarium specimens 

 from the garden can be collected and 

 dried, but the botanist will need to 

 remember that nothing short of the most 

 thorough drying will suffice. It will 

 also be necessary to use a liberal amount 

 of napthalene scattered through the 

 dry specimens at all times. A native 

 plant collector is detailed by the Direc- 

 tor of the Gardens to assist visiting 

 botanists in getting material from either 

 the garden or the jungle. This man is 

 well acquainted with nearly all of the 

 species in the garden or growing in the 

 vicinity, and can usually tell the scienti- 

 fic name offhand, although sometimes 

 he needs to refer to the herbarium. At 

 the laboratory native assistants are 

 provided who clean up apparatus and 

 glassware and make themselves gener- 

 ally useful. 



One of the most interesting things 

 about Ceylon is the way in which the 

 jungle comes to the very door of civili- 



