June i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
is of a vivid green colour. We find it difficult to 
persuade visitors to a seaside verandah that the 
reepers were not painted green. Some of the old 
ground at Peradeniya is to be converted into an arti- 
ficial swamp for the growth of sago trees. Sago is 
so plentiful already that it is used in England to 
feed up calves. Wo doubt if much profit can be 
expected from the cultivation of this aquatic palm in 
Ceylon. In the Hakgala gardens, it appears that 
Mr. Clarke, while in charge after Mr. Edward Thwaites 
left and before Mr. Nock arrived, was successful in 
growing Ledgeriaua grafts on succirubra stocks, which 
was well, as the Ledgeriana.s in the clearing were 
dving off. Dr. Trimen intends that Hakgala should 
be worked as a branch of the main institution and 
devoted to temperate and subtropical plants. Except 
to keep up the different speoies, the Hakgala gardens 
are no longer required for cinchona propagation, and 
the opinion of Dr. Trimen expresses of the situation and 
climate is a perfect contrast to the couleurderose descrip- 
tion given by Mr. C. Markham, after his visit to it. 
Drugs, dyes, fibres are to be the subjects of experi- 
ments. Fruit and vegetable cultivation are to re- 
coive further trials, and shade and shelter trees for 
estates are to be grown. But a good propagating 
house is wanted. The Henaratgoda Tropical Gardens 
have succeeded so well that the experimental gardens 
at Anuradhapura are to be taken over by the de- 
partment. Ultimately, we suppose, there will be a 
garden in each Province, and why not at the capital, 
Colombo ? The operations of the Commission on the 
introduction of useful plants are referred to, and then 
as regards our suffering chief staple, Arabian coffee, 
the " paralyzing notion of the discovery of a cure" is 
denounced and planters and the Government are asked 
to combine to destroy spores and prevent their spread- 
ing. On worn-out land all coffee trees should be 
destroyed, and most of the native coffee should meet 
the same fate, Government giving the natives Liberian 
trees in place of the inferior species. For the entire dis- 
appearance of the destructive fungus, Dr. Trimen 
does not look, only that by means of combined 
measures "a sensible and sustained diminution in 
loaf disease" would result in a considerable recovery 
in the staple product of Ceylon. But how is com, 
bincd action on a sufficiently large scale to bts secured. 
Arbitrary legislation would be needed, and means to 
enforce it. Dr. Trimen speaks well of Liberian 
coffee although in this report he does not refer to 
the largo proportion of disease-resisting plants. With 
regard to Ledgerianas and other cinchonas ho insists 
on bark analysis as tho truo te9t ; although, botanioally- 
external appearances must decide the question whether 
a plant is Lodgeriana or not. It comes to this: that while 
some Ledgerianas are very rich, others aropoor, inferior 
toother calisayas and to "hybrids." In regard to 
C. rohuxta Dr. Trimen retains his belief in its hybrid 
character, tracing its origin to the Nil^iria, Wo are 
not aware that Mr. Mclvor ever qualified his belief 
that tho plant was a hybrid, seeing that he arti- 
ficially produced it. Dr. Trimou has received seeds 
and distributed others. Cacao from Trinidad has 
succeeded well aud has been distributed not only in 
tho island but to Singapore and Fiji. Of cardamoms, 
seeds and plants have been sent to tho Andamans 
and Jamaica. There is a singular variety in which 
the flowing branches are carried upwards. It differs 
only in this habit from the regular type. There is 
much information about indiarubber, the species of 
trees yielding which seem to be almost without limits. 
It is to be noticed, however, that only big plant- 
ations of the best kinds are likely to be successful. 
Trees first obtained from the Indian Government have 
yielded plants which havo been sent to the Andamans. 
Gutta Percha trees have been tried, but they 
grow with extreme slowness. Seeds of fodder grasses 
seem to bo generally a delusion and a snare, and 
we supect that in America as well as India the 
sugar-yielding sorghums will be more valuable as 
cattle food than as substitutes for the true cane. 
We wish Fiji joy of a packet of Mauritius grass. 
You can oasily get it into a swamp and then the 
difficulty is to keep it within bounds. There is a 
recipe for the preparation of Annatto, used for 
colouring butter and cheese. The tree is a pretty 
one, and common in Colombo gardens. Dr. Trimen 
makes favourable reference to the extended cultiv- 
ation of " Lowcountry Products " especially in the 
Udagama Valley, 26 miles from Galle, and notices 
how plants and planters and enterprise are radiat- 
ing from Ceylon to North Borneo, tho Malay Pen- 
insula, &c. Large additions have been made to the 
collection of plants, and we arc glad to learn that 
a revised list of the contents of the Gardens is in 
progress. But when are we to expect the Popular 
Botany of Ceylon ? 
SOUTH COORG: THE NALKNAAD COFFEE. 
In your issue of the 24th March, I read with much 
interest the letters by Graham Anderson and "A. L. 
T." which [latter] you copy from the Asian, and in the 
latter there is an error I wish to be the means of cor- 
recting, and giving honour to "horn honour is due. 
The superiority of the Nalknaad over the other 
varieties of coffee was fully recognized long before 
Mr. Chisholni came to Coorg, or probably even dreamt 
of such an event. 
The recognisee was an old Ceylon planter, who, years 
ago, went over to the majority, and who was probably 
as well known in Ceylon betore he left as ho was in 
Coorg. Sandy Bain was the man who first saw in tho 
Nalknaad tree its lasting aud cropping properties, and, 
when he opened Cnldees, he had nothing else but seed- 
lings raised from selected seed and from solected trees. 
To ensure having good caste trees he visited the 
native gardens and marked the trees ho wished re- 
served for soed, which, when ripe, he personally saw 
picked and carried to the estate, "as coolies will client, 
you know." To this care is due the present condi- 
tion of Culdees compared with other old Ghaut estates. 
Mr. Maun never was an admirer of the Nalknaad 
tree, which he termed a "leafy thing," but was one 
of the most irdeut admirers of the ••chick" we arc 
ever likely to hear of, and insisted ou several clear- 
ings being planted with notbing else. Need I tell you 
tho result ? Borer commenced nnd leaf-dltease com- 
pleted tho work of destruction, and. though attempts 
havo been made to replant these fields, yet 1 regret 
to say they havo been unsuccessful, m Ltu impossible 
to rear a decent treo on Ghaut land after it has been 
open live or six years. 
Mr, Cuisholui lirst took up tho Nalknaad tree m 1*71 
