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Ullucus tuberosus. — The following further information on this vegetable is sent by Mr. 
Nock : — 
The crop of these tubers was lifted early in the year, and the produce from 30 square feet was 15 pounds, 
and from another little patch was gathered 9 lb. Reckoning 15 lb. from 30 square feet, they cropped at the rate of 9 
tons to the acre. But the whole crop of 24 lb. was taken from a space of 100 square feet, which gave a yield of, 
say, 5 tons to the acre. This shows a variation, of, say, 4| tons an acre for a bad crop up to 9 tons for a good crop. 
Fifty of the largest tubers weighed exactly 20 oz. The 12 largest weighed 6 oz., and the largest single tuber exactly 
| of an oz. 
They have very much improved in strength of growth and size of tuber since last year, and I think by 
selection and careful cultivation there is no reason why they should be produced in a few years as large as ordinary 
potatoes. And if the flavour can only be improved in a corresponding degree, it would become a valuable 
vegetable, as it grows well, and so far has not been subject to any disease. 
The above anticipations of Mr. Nock have been since confirmed by the results of lifting, on 
February 26, the crop yielded by 50 selected tubers planted on June 10, and weighing only 17 oz. 
He writes i — 
I found the yield to be 52 lb. , and the largest tuber was a little over 2 oz. One root gave 636 tubers, weigh - 
ing 6 lb.. These were grown in abed only 32 ft. long by 3 ft. wide ; the yield per acre would be enormous. 
Mr. Nock sent me twelve of the best tubers for trial as a vegetable, and boiled in well salted 
water until quite tender, and served with white sauce, they are excellent. They are a little " waxy, 1 * 
but I think that in this tuber, if we have not exactly a substitute for the potato, we have a very 
good addition to our vegetables. 
Conifers at Hakgala. — The yield of timber of two trees at Hakgala cut down this year is 
worth nothing — one, Gryptomeria japonica, about sixteen years old, produced 90 ft. of 1-in. 
boards, measuring in width 16 in. at bottom to 6 in. at top. The other, Gupressus torulosa, about 
twenty years old, gave 176 ft. of 1-in. boards, much like white pine in appearance, and easy to work. 
Library. — =The MS. catalogue of the contents of the Library, which I prepared several 
years ago, and have since kept up, has now been printed, forming a little pamphlet of 28 pages, 
which was issued in February. The titles are systematically arranged under thirteen classes 
of subjects. 
The Library contains a good working collection of Botanical books, but their careful 
collation showed that a good many were imperfect. The most serious gaps were in that most 
necessary constituent of a Botanic Garden library, the " Botanical Magazine," and these, I am glad to 
say, we have been able almost to fill up by means of a special vote. This was sufficient to purchase 
the whole of the first series (53 volumes), and seven volumes of the third series, leaving only 
eight volumes needed to complete this valuable work, which has now reached its 116th annual 
volume. 
MuseUm.— -^During the coming year I hope to make a good commencement with a Museum 
of Economic Botany at Peradeniya, a small vote for the purpose, long promised, having at length 
been granted. This will all be expended on glass-fronted cases and glass-stoppered jars, experience 
having shown that all dried vegetable specimens must be protected from the air. Four rooms of 
the house formerly occupied by the Director are available for the Museum, of which two are now 
occupied by timbers, and I purpose, at all events for the present, to restrict the collection to the 
wild and cultivated productions of Ceylon only. And I may take this opportunity of appealing 
to all who have the means of obtaining specimens and samples suitable for exhibition to assist me 
in making an adequate display of raw and manufactured vegetable products of all kinds, and from 
all parts of the Island, by forwarding such to Peradeniya. 
