r s ) 
A good deal of interest has been shown by planters in the insect enemies of the tea plain, 
though they cannot be said to be very numerous here or very serious. The worst, H*lotmtis,iM 
somewhat restricted in its range, and is kept down by systematic catching ; but there are doubtless 
other sucking bugs also at work not yet identified. In connection chiefly with the tea industry, 
the Planters' Association requested Government to appoint a scientific entomologist (t.. be attached 
to the Colombo Museum) for the investigation of insect pests generally, and to suggest remedies 
for their attacks. The Director of the Museum proposed that preferably to being attached to his 
Department, the entomologist should be an independent officer, mainly remunerated bv tees or 
fixed charges for actual work done ; and he also suggested an eminently fit person for the post in 
Mr. E. E. Green of Pundal-oya. I fully coincide in his proposal, and hope that it may yet meet 
with the approval of Government. 
Coffee. — The Chamber of Commerce returns do not even now distinguish between Liberian 
and Arabian coffee, but it may be supposed that a considerable proportion of the miserable total of 
32,205 cwt. exported last year was of the former kind. It is indeed remarkable how the negtact of 
this product continues ; there are, however, at length signs of a more serious cultivation of what is 
undoubtedly a paying product. No doubt Liberian coffee suffers severely from Leaf-disease, but 
with liberal treatment and abundant manure it crops well. Many thousand seedlings hare been 
supplied from Henaratgoda Garden during the year. It is disheartening to notice— but la in 
keeping with the usual inertness of the Sinhalese villagers— that ail efforts to stimulate thii- culture 
by them seems useless; and coffee as a "native" product is practically extinct. 
In June we received from Kew a small quantity of 6eed of the Sierra Leone H upland " coffee, 
and have succeeded in raising at Peradeniya about fifty plants, of which a small plantation will be 
made. A short account of this coffee, ('. steiiajihijlla, will be found in the '• Kew Bulletin " for 1893, 
page 167, where it is stated that the flavour is superior to that of Liberian. 
Cacao. — Exports of this from Ceylon seem to fluctuate remarkably from year to year. 
21,110 cwt. were sent away in 1894. Our acreage under this pro luct is not large, and 1 believe this 
quantity indicates a fair average crop. But cacao has many enemies, and (his year cultivators have 
had to complain of the damage done by grubs, which bore in the wood or channel between it and the 
bark. These are the larvae of several different sorts of beetles, and as a rule they live a Long while 
in this stage. By the time their position is discovered, so that they can be extracted, they have 
usually already done much harm, and may even kill the trees 'before they are found. It would be 
best to watch for the perfect beetles themselves and destroy them ; and all badly attacked trees 
should be cut down and burnt. 
I have not as yet received from Mr. Hart of Trinidad any of the fine Xicaraguan variety 
found by him, and referred to in my last report, which he states to be so much like the " old red" 
kind here, and is perhaps identical with it; but he promises them in due course. 
Para Indiarubber. — A distribution of 86,000 seeds was made to planters in the low-country, 
being nearly the whole crop of our trees (421 at Henaratgoda and 30 at Peradeniya). Each tree 
does not produce a great number of capsules, and (as in other Euphorbia a -le) three seeds only are 
found in each. When mature the capsule bursts and the seeds fall to the ground ; they have to be 
collected daily, as they quickly germinate. Some get overlooked, and a little crop of seedlings 
always comes up beneath the tree. With proper packing, however, I find that the seeds can be 
made to keep their vitality without germination for a longer period than I had supposed. Thus 
200 were sent to Kew in September, of which every one germinated after being a month in the post. 
I continued the tapping or bleeding of the tree already experimented on in the alternate 
years 1888, 1890, 1892, and it afforded this year as much as 3 lb. 3 oz. of dry rubber. Thus in seven 
years (from its twelfth to its nineteenth year) the tree has given 10^ lb. of clean first-class rubber, 
without in any way suffering, and I have little doubt that it would have borne tapping every year. 
This may be regarded as quite satisfactory, and sets at rest any doubt as to future successful cultivation 
of this kind of rubber here. By referring to my past reports it will be seen how steadily the yield 
has increased on each occasion. I do not think it desirable, or indeed of any use, to commence 
bleeding the trees before they are at least ten years old. 
Guttapercha. — The trees of Payena Leerii (Gutta Sundek) at Henaratgoda yielded a large 
crop of fruit in October for the first time. The seeds from which these trees were raised were 
received from Perak in 1880. This tree affords the second best quality of guttapercha of that district. 
.Gambir. — Very slow progress in the propagation of this is made at Henaratgoda. None of 
the seeds produced germinated, and only seven more plants were obtained by layering. Some 
conditions seem wanting here for the satisfactory growth of this species. 
Camphor. — The plants raised last year from Japanese seed are being tried at all the gardens. 
A small plantation has been made at Peradeniya and at Anuradhapura : they are at present doin 
well. At Hakgala and Peradeniya there already exist a few old trees. 
Cubebs. — In October Mr. Starey kindly gave us 64 seeds of " Rinoe Katoentjar," one of th 
best varieties, which he obtained on a recent visit to Java. I regret to say, however, that, as ha 
been the case with all seeds hitherto received from Java, it has failed to germinate. Probably the 
are always picked unripe, and moreover they quickly lose their power of germination. 
