642 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1890. 
of forest, of park-like lands, of sandy downs covered 
with short shrubs that in their season bear flowers of 
every hue, and anon in summer, a glimpse of a dried- 
up salt lake is obtained gleaming through the foliage 
like the driven snow. The first day's journey ends 
at Beverley ; — stop-over privileges can be had, and 
the tourist can rusticate for a day at this little 
town. Here he may botanize, and gaze in wonder on 
treeB that shed their bark annually instead of their 
leaves, whose smooth trunks tower upwards, and 
are crowned with small, thick, shining leaves ar- 
ranged in parasol-like groups. An hour spent by 
moonlight within 200 yards of Sewell's Hotel, amongst 
the Balmon gumtrees, — their tall, gaunt forms 
seen in sharp outline, the arched vault above 
studded with countless stars, the moon hung in 
queenly splendour lets fall her softened rays until 
the leaves glisten as if coated with burnished 
silver, — will afford a spectacle not easily forgotten. 
Twenty miles farther on is the larger town of 
York, environed by hills, chiefly dominated by 
Mount Bakewell. For the ascent of this mount 
another day may be taken ; and then the journey 
continued to Perth. Grassy and tree-covered hills 
will be seen on either sMe of the line ; until about 
mid-day the mahogany forest, last seen near Albany, 
is re-entered. The many blackened trunks, the 
charred stumps, the fallen branches, and almost 
bare ground, all tell how fiercely the bush fires rage 
through these forests in the summer months. Then 
the descent to the valley of the Swan River begins. 
The valleys deepen, the hills draw nearer, huge 
boulders of granite lie within reach, the denu- 
ding action of the past is more apparent ; the 
line curves, now running over the foot of a 
hill and anon overlooking a gorge, and presently 
the taller buildings of Perth — 16 miles distant 
— outline themselves against the horizon. Guild- 
ford is only just ahead, embosomed in the valley. 
Passing through it, the train makes a pause in 
sight of the river Swan, and by 2 o'clock the 
tourist will find himself in Perth. 
Perth is situated at a bend of the Swan Eiver 
where it widens out into lake-like proportions. At 
the extremity of Perth the escarpment of Mount 
Eliza overlooks a narrow part, beyond which the 
river widens into great reaches— offering full scope 
for yachting, whilst the shallower Perth water gives 
facilities for rowing and smaller sailing boats. Here 
is infinite variation, from the placid bay when all is 
glassy and idle, to the foam-crested mimic waves of 
our stormiest day. Excursions down the river, drives 
out of town, visits to the port of Fremantle, 12 
miles away, life at the Clubs, and so on, will 
afford recreation and give new strength to the 
health-seeking tourist. Where time is very im- 
portant all that I have described can be done whilst 
the ship is going to and returning from Sydney. 
It can be re-joined at Albany, and in a few more 
days, "Home, sweet home," is mado all the more 
pleasant by this sight of a new country — a trip 
within the means of some who cannot afford to think 
of England. 
Great as are these advantages, I believe our colony 
offers still greater. An anxious problem, ever pre- 
senting itself to the European-Ceylonese, is that of 
minimizing the evils attendant on the upbringing 
of children. The present necessities involve the 
separation of parents and children for some years — 
robbing the parents of half their joys, and depriving 
the children of advantages for which no efficient 
substitute can be supplied. Another unsatisfactory 
feature is that no prooess of acclimatization is going 
on. The contrast in climate between Ceylon and 
England is bo great and the stay in England 
necessarily long, bo that the children become Euro- 
peanized in constitution when they return to the 
parental home or estate, they have probably formed 
European alliances, and their children are no more 
able to withstand the peculiarities of the Ceylon 
climate then they themselves were ; the partings and 
anxieties have all to be repeated in each succeeding 
generation. 
I am sure that it is well worthy of inquiry 
whether these evils would not be greatly mitigated, 
if children were sent to Western Australia instead 
of to England. Proximity is here an important 
factor, communication being quicker and admitting 
of an occasional visit home or of parents to chil- 
dren — the flames of parental and filial affection being 
fed anew. Then the climate being healthy, though 
not so greatly differing in temperature as England 
does, would surely inure the constitution to the 
climatal conditions of subsequent life. Alliances 
would probably often be made with Australians, who 
being accustomed to heat might not be much affected 
by transference to Ceylon. Is it too much to assume 
that under such conditions succeeding generations 
would be less and less affected injuriously, and 
finally become so acclimatized as to remove the 
necessity for separating children from their parents 
to avert an early grave ? — Yours faithfully, 
WILLIAM TRAYLBN. Peeth, W. Aus. 
THE COCONUT LEAF TROUBLE. 
Colombo, February 7th. 
Deah SiR, — I was glad to see Dr. Trimen's report 
on the so-called coconut leaf dif-ease. This was known 
to coconut planters of standing for many years, and 
the only successful remedy is liberal cultivation. 
The " Examiner " correspondent could have learnt 
this if he had only taken the trouble to forward a few 
of the diseased leaves to the Director of the Bota- 
nical Garden instead of writing so much to that 
journal insinuating that others, who differred from 
his opinion, were only doing so, to prevent 
the value of their estates being depreciated. 
Now, I think seriously that the " Examiner " 
correspondent is due to the worthy doctor a fee for 
the valuable hints he has given as to cultivation, 
but he might have gone further and advised him to 
select soil more adapted for ooconut growing, as in 
doing so, he would be less troubled with coconut leaf 
disease. — Yours faithfully, 
UNMITIGATED BOSH. 
A New Foeest Cleaeer.— An invention has been 
patented in New Zealand which, if it does all that is 
claimed for it, will make clearing of forest land a 
much more easy matter than it is now. It consists 
in a composition with which trees can be poisoned, 
mingling itself with the sap, and circulating through 
every branch and leaf utterly destroying the life and 
rendering the standing tree in three months time 
dead and rotten and so highly inflammable that 
when fired, it burns away literally root and branch, 
for the fire creeps even down the roots into the 
ground consuming them so thoroughly that the 
land can be ploughed afterwards. It is available also 
for old stumps thus doing in a month what nature 
takes years to accomplish. The process of inocula- 
tion is simply the boring of a hole about 6 inches 
into the tree with an inch auger, filling it with the 
composition, and afterwards plugging it with cork, 
touch-clay or other suitable substanoe. The com- 
position has had several trials and is stated to have 
done effectual work in all cases ; in one instance 700 
acres having been cleared with it, every tree, it is 
claimed, being successfully dealt with. It is also 
said to be very inexpensive. — Indian Agriculturist. 
[But what is the wonderful substance ?— Ed. T, A.] 
