THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1881, 
The soil of the present nurseries, which have been in use for over half-a-century and 
are much exposed to the N.E. wind, being greatly impoverished, I propose to make fresh 
ones in the recently cleared south garden. 
The principal want in this department is glass. A few glass frames are required for 
raising grafts and cuttings and protecting young plants from drip, draughts of wind and 
rapid changes of temperature, whilst yet affording light. Hitherto old Wardian cases have 
been generally employed , 
A still more pressing need is glass roofing for the plant sheds (or one of them), and 
the orchid-house, which is at present thinly thatched with grass in the manner so success- 
fully practised at Calcutta, but not suited to a purely tropical and very moist climate like 
Peradeniya. This glass should be obtained from England, and its cost would not be large, 
hough beyond the ordinary means at my disposal. 
A well-shaded rockery has been formed near the office and store, and planted up with 
(chiefly) native ferns, ground orchids, sonerilas, balsams, acrotremas, &c. 
II.— Hakgala Gabden. 
The Superintendent has been engaged during the year in the formation of a new 
Plantation of Cinchona Ledgeriana, in barking and preparing for the market some trees of 
C. officinalis, var. crispa, in digging out and barking stumps of old C, officinalis and 
C. succirubra, and in re-planting a portion of the ground with var. crispa. He has also 
succeeded in raising some Himalayan and other conifers from seed. 
The water-course in this garden still requires some attention from the Department of 
Public Works, the masonry work having been left in an unfinished state. 
There is room in Hakgala for very great improvement in almost every respect, and 
in accordance with the desire of His Excellency the Governor I have lately submitted a 
lan for its more efficient management. As the details of this are still under consideration, 
it is not at present possible to say more than that they are framed with the object of 
rendering Hakgala garden of greater and more varied usefulness to the Colony. 
Ill, — Henaratgoda Garden. 
Each year appears further to demonstrate the utility of this branch, the management 
of which is very satisfactory. The trees and plants are well cared for and in good health; 
a new nursery for the propagation of Para India-rubber has been formed, as well as fresh 
plantations of Liberian and Jamaica coffees and of cacao. The various new economic 
plants suitable for hot-country cultivation sent from Peradeniya to a more congenial climate 
have been carefully planted out, and are well attended to and flourishing. 
Several large trees of Ficus modesta have been felled, being found to injure the young 
plants beneath ; the walks have been partially remade, and a bamboo fence has been erected 
round such parts of the boundary as were specially liable to the trespass of cattle. 
The bridge at the entrance to the garden which had become dangerously insecure has 
been repaired. 
IV.— Economic and Useful Plants. 
Coffee. — In spite of the great impulse lately given to the cultivation of other plants, 
which is still gaining strength, coffee remains unquestionably the staple product of the 
Island. In view of the continued prevalence of leaf-disease, one of the earliest hopes of 
the planters was the introduction of new varieties, it being, not unreasonably, thought 
that in some of these there might be found to reside a greater power of resistance to the 
growth of Hemileia. With this view His Excellency the Governor obtained from the 
Jamaica Government a considerable supply of seed of the best Blue Mountain coffee there 
cultivated. This, as stated in last year's report, germinated well ; and by desire of His 
Excellency, young plants to the number of over 26,000 have been distributed free of charge 
to such planters as cared to possess them. I regret to say that the hope expressed by my 
predecessor in the report just referred to has by no means been realized. The disease 
attacked the seedlings with remarkable intensity, and not a few actually succumbed under 
it. It is worth remarking that a small plantation of this variety made at Henaratgoda is 
in a very healthy condition, the plants, now one year old, three or four feet high, and 
commencing to flower. It will be interesting to watch the further development of these 
at so low an elevation. 
