May 1, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
743 
CARRYING TEA LEAF LONG DISTANCES. 
We call attention to another letter (see pige 759) 
from the Indian Tea Manager who has taken out 
a patent tor something like the application oC the 
" Silo " system to tea leaf, or as heprefers to oall it, 
a Leaf-press" Patent. Nothing in the criticism 
advanced by our several oorrespondents shakes 
his /aith in his system — indeed seeing is believing 
with him, whereas he maintains no Ceylon planter 
has experimented under the aotual oonJitions laid 
down in his first letter. The deductions of our 
local planting correspondents from their oxporieaoe, 
in reference to hard-pressed baskets or bsgs of 
leaf, are not admitted for a moment aac; i ' : 
because in none of them could the air be exc.>.acd. 
We trust, therefore, that one or other of our 
most experienced Managers who bring leaf from 
any distance will give a fair trial to the "Silo" 
system as once more sketched by " Press" in 
the letter we give. Mr, Jamieson on Mariawatte 
or Mr. Westlani in North-East Matale may, 
perhaps, be in a position to make the necessary 
experiment with a tea-box in the way pointed out 
and to give their brother-planters and our readorp 
the benflit of the result. 
PROFESSOR POTTER ON CEYLON 
VEGETATION : 
LECTUBE AT THE NEWCASTLE MCSEUM. 
Go Saturday evening, the third of a series of sis 
lectures uoder the auspices of the Natural History 
Society of Northumberland, Durham, aud Newcastle- 
upon-Tyne, was delivered by Professor Potton, whose 
subject was '• Tropical Vegetation in Oeylon." 
The lecturer prefaced his address by remarking 
that one of the signs of the 'atest development of 
biological science was the establishment of labora- 
tories in various parts of the world ; and referring 
especially to Botany, he instanced the Dutch 
Laboratory at Buitenzorg in Java, so celebrated for 
the important research work accomplished there. 
The need of au English tropical laborato;.-y had 
been long felt by botanists in this country, and when 
in 188S he was fortunate in being elected to a 
travelling scholarship at Cambridge to visit Ceylon 
for the purpose of botanical research, he was 
truste 1 with the selection and conveyance of 
the apparatus to found the first British Associa- 
tion laboratory in the Government Botanical Gar- 
dens, at Peradeniya. Professor Potter had thus au 
opportunity of studying to advantage the marvels of 
a tropical flora, and proposed to give that evening a 
brief account of some of the characteristic features of 
Singalese vegetation. Before proceeding further, he 
gave some description of the geographical situation 
and physical conditions of Ceylon, for it was these 
points which so largely influenced the character of a 
flora, and he referred to diagrams of the isotheriaals, 
aud the distribution of rain on the earth's surface for 
tlie purpose of comparison with our own climate. 
Froiu ica situation the island enjoyed a continuous 
tropical climate. In shape it was somewhat like a 
pear, and might be described as a titit pline, a little 
above sea level, from the centre of which rose a group 
of hills, the highest (Pidurotallagalla) being 8,004 fees 
and tUe next (Adam's Peak) only a hundred feat loss 
in height. Adam's Peak was a lofty, conical pinnacle ' 
tapering to a sharp point, the actual sammit being a 
tlat space of only a few square feel, upju which there ; 
was aa impression about 6ft. 3iu. long, which a fanci- 
ful imagination has ascribed to the impress of a 
human foot, it, according to tradition, being the spot 
where Buddha planted one foot when he stepped 
over from India. Not only th.7 Buddbists, but 
also the Mohammedans, regard the mountain as 
sacred, and pay frequent pilgrimages to its summit. 
The climatic conditions of the plain and the hills 
was next exp'aiued, aud it was shown how there 
were all gradations of climate from the sea-coast 
to the summit of the hills, and suitable regions 
could thus be found for almost all species of culti- 
vation. The rainfall was excessive, but not uniform 
throughout the year. There was a well-marked dry 
season (January, February, IVlarch) and a wet 
season, the greater part of the rain falling during 
the months of May, .June, and July. The amouut 
of rain, twice as much as in this country, coupled 
with the tropical heat produced in the wet season, 
a very damp, steamy atmosphere, such as one must 
experience to appreciate. Everything v^as damp, 
furniture, clothes, bedding, books, &c., even matches 
refused to strike unless specially dried, and the 
frequent attempts to get a light rubbed all the phos- 
plioras olf the box. The contrast with a climate 
like ours was very great. Not only was the period 
of active vegetation much longer (nine months), 
but the conditions of heat and moisture were much 
more favourable. The short period when vegetation 
suffered a temporary ctieck was only three months, 
and this not from cold but from excessive heat. 
Several trees, it was interesting to note, shed their 
leaves as a protection against the heat aud dryness, and 
not, as here, from cold As soon as the short dry 
season was over the rain commenced and vegetation 
again burst forth with renewed vigour. Under con- 
ditions like this we could imagine the vegetation 
would be of the most luxuriant description, but it 
was almost impossible for anyone who had not visited 
a tropical forest to conceive of the wonderful pro- 
digality of nature in such' a region. The jungle 
presented a strange mixture of plants and largo trees 
growing quite close together, with their stems em- 
braced by numerous climbers, all so thickly matted 
that one had literally to hew a path through them. 
In many places the only footways were the tracks of 
elephants, who protected by their thick hide, could 
force a road through ttie thick walls of stems and 
lianas. Overhead was a dense mass of foliage, so thick 
that little light could penetrate, but even this enabled 
many shade-loving plants to live, some on the ground, 
others finding sutable localities in the tree stems 
and in the crevices of the bark. While, however, 
tue general conditions were so favourable, plants had 
many adverse conditions to contend against and 
amidst such multiplicity of life the struggle for 
existence became tierce in its intensity. All plants 
were very dependent upon their surroundings, and the 
various forms, structures, and habits of plants were all 
modifications and adaptations to special external condi- 
tions. The .absolute requirements upon which all 
plaot life depended were beat moisture and light 
and the nnfavourable oonditicns in the Tropics wera 
lo be funnd in the excess of suuligbt aud rain, and 
also in the very high winds. Tbe lecturer then 
went on to consider how the conditions of the Tropics 
influenced and reacted upon the tropical flora, monldin^ 
its ch»racter and principal features. He described 
the different members of the plants and the special 
fuuolious each had to perform, giving numerons 
cxaiuples of the manner in which their development 
in auy (.'irectioa was an adiiptatiou to tbe necessities 
of their existence. Illastratioiis were given of the 
huge bntlrisB roots requiroi lo anchor the trees 
firmly to the ground, and prevent them being torn 
up during the violent stoims of wind, aud of tbe 
stalks of leaves tied in by an olabocate meabwork of 
interlacing fibres. Various means of protection of 
leaves frura the sun and rain were shown, and many 
varieties of climber.* with the hooks aud teuiirila they 
develop to assist thoxu in reaching tbe light. Many 
btaatifal forma of palms, coconui, cabbage, wiiie 
palm, &c,, were displayed on the screen as well us 
some intcrittiug views of the lies fields acd tea and 
coUc& plnuLatious. The lecture throughout >va« pro- 
fusely illustrated by Unteia »iew», propara.l by Mr. 
Potter bim(L<tf. 
A hearty vo^e ol thaoki w«a aoMided to tbe 
lecturer, — JS^co York Jov.r.x I, 
94 
