to, I, 1894.] thp: tropical agriculturist. 529 
also appears on the title-page. The same note of 
originahty is struck by the Handbook now under notice. 
Glancing through the various Colonial Floras which 
have been published or executed in this country, 
it is manifest that they have for the most part been 
uaHertaken by botanists whose knowledge of the 
plants described was derived mainly, and in most 
cases entirely, from heri.arium specimens The 
author of the Flora A mtralienns was never in Australia 
and. although working in close proximity to the 
Royal Gardens at Kew, very seldDm examined living 
plants for his descriptions ; the monographers of the 
incomplete Floret 0/ I'ropictl Africa were never in 
that country ; Mr. Baker's knowledge of the Flora 
of Mauritius is entirely derived from the herbarium; 
and 80 we might continue. The result in all these 
cases is the production of handbooks extremely useful 
for herbarium work, but by no means so suitable for 
use in the field. Moreover, the condensation nec essary 
renders it impossible to give notes on local uses 
and names, even when information as to these is 
forthcoming. 
Dr. Trimen's aim is not so much the convecieuce 
of the herbarium botanist as " to enable observers 
in Ceylon to ascertain the name of any plant they 
may find growing wild." He would do for Ceylon 
what the Hookers and Babington have done for 
England, the good effect of which, in these days 
of minute investigation into structural details, is 
somewhat apt to be overlooked. He has given analytic 
keys, aud his descriptions are, he says, "as little 
technical as I can make them, consistent with 
accuracy." These descriptions have "been made, 
whenever possible, from fresh living specimens " ; 
such apparently trivial, but useful, particulars as the 
time of flowering and colour of flowers are given 
with brief notes " on the history and nomenclature 
[both scientiflo and vernacular] of the species, on 
any special peculiarity in its structure, and on its 
properties, pro Jucts, and uses." Some of these 
things are of small mom nt to us at home, but every 
one who has worked in the field knows their 
practical value. 
It is in this way that the method of the ]:lora 
of Ceyloti is distinct from all its predecessors, aud 
Dr. Trimen is to be congratulated on the success 
with which he has earned out his pi n. "While, 
however, complimenting him on his work, we are 
inclined to think that the practical convenience of 
those who will use the book in the field might Have 
been further consulted by a diminution of its bulk. 
The work is announced as forming two volumes of 
two parts each, with a hundred quarto plates. 
These latter can of course be left at home, but 
somewhat less substantial paper, and a certain 
economy in printing which might have been adopted 
without in any way interfering with the appearance 
of the book, would have rendered it much easier 
fof use in the field, Qn the pr-'sent scale, t^yo parts 
\yill make a son^ewhat unwieldy volume, while four 
eiap^rate instalments are inconvenient to carry about. 
Perhaps a thin-paper issue may be contemplated 
for this purpose ; if not, we beg to tende;- the 
BUggestioD. 
The handsome coloure 1 plates "are a small selec- 
tion only from the extensive series illustrating the 
Ceylon flora which is preserved in the Library of 
the Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya. This was com- 
menced more than fifty years ago, and has been 
steadily continued under successive Directors. It 
now numbers several thousand drawings and has 
been wholly the work of three members of one 
Sinhalese family, employed successively as draftsmen 
on the Garden stall— Haramainis de Alwis, and 
George and William do Alwis, his sons." 
We understand that the second part of the Flora 
is well advanced towards completion, and we trust 
that the blight which so frequently falls upon works 
of this kind will in no way impede its progres?. 
. ^ 
PLANTING NOTES FROM HAPUTALE. 
A Planttr wr ilea :—" Holloway'a" letter on page 
ill amused me greatly. There can ba little 
dQVI^t th»( grcea aqcI BUcouI«Qt ^Isnta applied as 
a fertilizer are of the greatest eervioe to lands that 
require humua and are wanting in vegetable 
onnstituents. This is the reason that friend 
Holloway found in oldon days: that the old coffee trees 
responded to masses of goat-weed grown under the 
trees — nooontraci weeding then— the weeds were 
pijlled up before seeding and carefully buried in 
cLse to the feeding roots of the trees. Some eetates 
that I know well iu the " sixties " greatly increased 
their crops where the goat-weed was thus utilized. 
Green crops are grown on the Continent, I am in. 
formed, and used as manures. I think a kind of 
lupin is used, but you will be able to give your 
reafiers full information on this very interesting 
subject, [The Tropical Agriculturist has given 
much information on the subject.— Ed. T,A.] 
Most of ihe eBtate<^ I have had to cultivate in 
Ceylon are very defioient in lime and most of them 
wanting humus. 
There bus been a great deal o( fever prevalent 
in some parts of this dis'riot these last 3 or 4 
months, and I would advise that in future when 
new clearings are to be opened out in low-lying 
districts, where malaria must be expected, that 
before fclliL;^ tha jungle, a temporary hospital be 
put up, so that fever coolies might be quickly and 
By^tematicnlly attendtd to, and medioines and 
suitable cuojies given them. Many coolies' lives 
might be saved if a hospital, a temporary one, were 
used ou new lowlying estates. A high caste middle 
aged nuise and a male attendant would suffice. 
The hospital could be made of jungle sticks and 
thatched, and have a division in the centre, one 
half for the men and the other half for women 
and the children and the Djctor would know at 
once when he visited where to find his patients. 
TEA DRINKING BY NATIVES IN INDIA— 
[AND WHlY not similar ARRANGE- 
MENTS IN CEYLON?] 
With reference to your note regarding tea drinking 
araongft natives in your issue of the 16sh inst., the 
cup that cheers, but not inebriates is becoming mii- 
vcrsa'ly popular, more especially amongst Mahome- 
daiiS. Th« traJe at our doors sliould on no tccuu »t 
be despised. 
For n*tive consamption 1 lb. or even § lb. pickets, 
are out of the question, as the proportion of the 
population who either could or would nfford to pay for 
such ai amount is infinitesimil. To attract oon- 
pumers we would sugge^t the openinif of ageociea in 
Ooty, Madras, Bangalore, and S cunderabad for the 
sule of 2 oz. packets, fr\y at an anna or 1^ annas each. 
The tea should not be lied leaf or Congoj, wbich the 
native is quite ' cute ' enough to detect as iuferior, 
but a good " Pekoe Souchong " put Ibroagh a breaker, 
which wonlJ be attract ve, and at the lame time bare ft 
fl'ivory liquor. We are convinoed that if a few gar- 
dens combuied aud gave th's snggestioa a trial, a big 
trade would eventually re!>alt. it hsa sacoeeded else- 
where and why not here ? 
AVe would »ls3 suggest that planters should make 
up 1 oz. and 2 oz. pickets to be kept at the faotorv 
to be s 'ld to Bad'gns aud other coolies, at the lowest 
remuuerativo rate— bcina aSsla to obtain their panni- 
kin of te» at next door tj cost price, now tbat tes 
drinking is a habit, would go a locg way to »top the 
petty theft of to» from the factory, and with taot and 
a little supervision, iright become an important factor 
in factory acconnls. — P. — South of India Ohserver,T>M.'iQy 
HAPUTALE REVISITED. 
{Bij an Old Uva Pioneer.) 
In the year 18t;0 a young planter dismonnted at 
the "Haputiile Pass from his pony (a screw of sallon 
and uncertain temper), and for Bometime stood en- 
tranced with the scene that ati^tvhtid it>>elf M9X% 
