Feuri/akv i, 1888.I THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURE ' 
575 
started, owina to tho diffiouliy thare has been found 
in obtaining a sufficiency of water free from silt, and 
beeauso I doubt if a jet of a yellow ilood would be 
attractive. 
Coonoor — Sim'» Park. — The general condition of this 
park is good. All the exotic trees havo made rapid 
growth and a little thinning will be necessary during 
the coming year. The coppiced shula, which lies 
between tho pond and Wellington, and which was so 
heavily thinned out two years ago, exhibits muoh 
improvement. The bridle road, which was made 
through this sholu, is muoh used, not only by pedes- 
trians and equestrians, but also by people driving 
in carriages. 
Barliyar — (<j) Experimental Garden — All the trees in 
this garden are doing well. The mangosteens pro- 
duced a vory largo crop of fruit during the year, most 
of which was sold in Ootacamund and CJoouoor. The 
place is very unhealthy; the laborers are constantly 
being knocked down with fever; aud I regret to havo 
to report that Sarathy, tho overseer, died of fever 
Inst M ireh. The garden is rough and untidy, owing 
to the large amouut of undergrowth, but it would 
cost a considerable sum to keep it neater, and as 
the undergrowth helps to keep the soil cool during 
the hot season, and therefore is of advantage to the 
young trees, I do not propose spending more money 
for tho sake of merely improving its genoral appear- 
ance. 
Kalhatti — (/() Experimental Gardens. — This garden is 
to bo sold, so soon as some plauts growing there can 
bo removed to Coonoor, nnd this will be about July 
of the present year. 
Proposed New Gardens. — The new garden at 
Gudahir has been sanctioned — vide G. O., No. 1060, 
of 3rd December 18^6, Revenue. It will oonsist of 
7£ aores belonging to the Tirumalpad of Nilambur, 
from whom it will bo leased for ninety-nine years at 
the rate of two rupees per aoro per annum, together 
with a reuewal fee for every twelfth year of two 
rupees per acre. Besides this Garden at Gudaliir, 
Government have sanctioned the taking up of a quar- 
ter of an aore, or whatever may be found necessary 
in tho Nilambur teak plantations for tho purpose of 
growing ipecacuanha, which plant has not yet been 
•uccesstully grown in uny of the Government gardens 
elsewhere. 
Herbarium. — Extensive additions have been made to 
the collections contained in the herbarium during 
the past year. 
The work of re-amiugiug the p'outs in tho Madras 
Herbarium was commenced during the beginning of 
this year, but owing to my time having been much 
occupied by other things, I have not been able to 
make that progress which I could havo desired; but 
later 0:1 in the year, 1 hope to recommence the work 
aud cirry it 011 without further stoppage to a com- 
pletion. Till this very necessary re-arrangement has 
been made, it is impossible to say how complete the 
collections belonging to this presidency may be. I 
am constantly being referred to for the purpose of 
naming pi mi-, and the herbarium ia now sufficiently 
extcuMVe to enable my doing this without much 
trouble. 
Library.— A sum of lis. 016-3-5 wero spent during 
thi! yiar on the purchase of botanical works. 
Notes 011 some of the more interesting Plant! 
which have been introduced or grown in the Gardens 
during the year. 
OrousSQiietia. — Cuttings of this plant were sent by 
Mr. Robertsou, the Principal of the Agricultural 
Oollt'ge SiaidApet. They have all struck rout and are 
doing well, and wi'l be planted out both at Ootaoa- 
mund and at Co moor, in both of which places I 
Ihiuk they ought 1 1 thrive. 
i. (Kvandrn nYyiifir.— The pluits sent by the Agri- 
Bo rticulturnJ Society, Madras, am healthy and grow- 
ing; but are not y< t sulllcieiitly advanced to render 
i', dt -liable that they should be put out lit ouce. 
3, < 'npr. 1 - Altliuiihb toil ur 2M" plants of this species, 
marl) nlhe I to Uiuohoua, were raised from seed 
which was scut from Kew two years ago, none of 
the. u have done as well us I could wish. Thoy have 
been planted out on the Naduvatam, Hooker and 
Wood estates, and at Barliyar, but in none of these 
places are they growing well. I think the situation 
in every instance is too high and cold or too dry. 
4. Teff Erayrostis Abyasinicu. — The seed of this valu 
able todder, which was received from Kew, has been 
sown both at Ootacamund aud at Coonoor. Tho crop 
growing at Ootacamund has been sadly injured by 
the grub of the cockchafer, while at Coonoor the 
plant has suffered from want of rain. Another year, 
if I can harvest good seed from the present orop, 
I shall sow later in the season. 
5. Vllucus tuberosum. — This did very well during the 
past year iu Ootacamund. The plants yielded a large 
number of flue tubers, and may become a welcome 
addition to our present vegetables, but it is never 
likely to equal in value the potato. 
6. Hop. — lam sorry to have to report that the remits 
connected with the cultivation of the hop have been 
anything but satisfactory. I am afraid that neither 
the soil nor the climate of the Nllgiris suit it. 
7. Arracacix Esculenta. — This plant has done well both 
at Ootacamuud aud at Barliyar, showing that it is 
oapable of thriving under great variations of tem- 
perature. The tubers are fairly agreeable to the taste. 
8. Cochin China tuberous-rooted vine. — I have Dothing 
further to report ou this, the plants at Bailiyir 
have flowered again but have not set any fruit. 
9. Medicinal Rhubarb.— I have tried growing this 
plant under mauy different ciroumstaoces, but have 
only succeeded iu growing it satisfactorily when it 
has been provided with an abundance of lime, and 
from this I argue, that it is r.ot likely either to prove 
a profitable crop ou these hills, which are almost 
entirely destitute of that mineral. .Should it bo able 
to withstand tho heat of the plains, there is no 
reason why it should not successfully bo grown in 
the neighbourhood of Ooimbatore. 
10. Ipecacuanha. — The stock of this most important 
medicinal plant, has, during the past year, been in- 
creased from about two hundred to over sevou hundred 
plants, and the greater number of these, as Govern- 
ment have sanctioned the proposal, will be put out 
in the Government teak forest at Nilambur. As 
mentioned iu my last year's report, tho few that had 
been planted three years ago iu this forest are grow- 
ing vigorously, and I have little doubt but that the 
soil and climate of Nilambur will suit them far 
bettor than those, of Barliyar. Last autumn, it was 
reported that tho stock of ipecacuanha iu the Eu- 
ropean market was almost exhausted, and that there 
were faint prospects of this stock beiug much in- 
creased by fresh imports from abroad, and it was 
further reported, that the price of the drug had 
risen from half a crown to teu shillings a pound. 
Whether this sudden failure iu tho supply of the 
ipecacuanha drug is due to the plant .having been 
uprooted in its natural habitat, or whether it is due 
to some commercial riug having been formed, 1 am 
not ablo to state, but it is certainly very desirablo 
that the plant which produces the best knowu cure 
for dysentery, a complaint so common in India, 
should, if possible, be grown in the country. 
11. Naregamia alecta. — This is a low growing plant, 
belonging to the ordor Meliacoro, aud is feuud iu 
great abundance on the West Coast from Bombay 
to Cochin, and probably farther south still. It has 
been called the "Gonuote Ipecacuanha," and is said 
to be used largely by the natives iu coses of rheum- 
atism and fever. Surgeou-Ceneral Uidio is having 
the drug tried iu Madras, with the view of finding 
out if it resembles the true ipecacuanha iu its action ia 
casos of dysentery, aud as an emetic. Mr. Hooper 
has made a chcinicil examination ot .Vartyantia and 
has found an alkaloid, which he proposes to call 
" Xitrctjamine." 
12. Gymntma Sytveitfi, — This, aud many other 
species of the smie giuus, havo tho property of 
paralysing the palate, so that it is impossible to be 
conscious of the ordinary taste experienced after 
eating substances, which aru either b Iter or sweet. 
Mr. Hooper, as will be seen from his report, has made 
a careful analysis of the leaves of yymnema tt/!t,.tic. 
