116 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURLST. [Aug 1, 1900. 
showy Cannas, the variegated jed and white Pine- 
apple (Ananas sativus, var. variegata), Caladiums, 
&c., make a brilliant display. 
Passing through a Fernery and the Palmyra 
Avenue (JBorassus flabelliformis), the visitor comes 
upon the imposing avenue of Boyal Palms (Oreo- 
doxa regia, see Gardeners' Chronicle, May 12th, 
1900, fig. 96). New and longer avenues of this and 
other handsome Palms which have of late been 
planted, may be expected to form in time striking 
features in the landscape of these gardens. 
Purely deciduous trees in the tropics are com- 
paratively rare, and when they do occur they gene- 
rally do not cast their leaves for the purpose of 
resting, but for bursting into blossom, followed by 
the fruit. A good example of this is the silk Cotton- 
tree (Bombax malabaricum), the large red, edible 
flowers of which cover the ground for weeks after 
the leaves have disappeared. Nothing can be more 
suggestive of a snow storm than when the pods of 
this tree burst, during wind and rain, and their 
cottony contents are wafted about thickly in the 
air. 
Taking the river-drive round the arboretum, the 
scenery is most picturesque. Mirrored in the 
Mahaweli river (the largest in Ceylon), which 
surrounds the gardens on three sides, are the fea- 
thery plumes of tall Bamboos, giant trees and 
Palms draped with luxuriant climbers, with im- 
Eosing hills in the background. A single clump of 
lendrocalamus giganteus (" Giant Bamboo," and 
monarch of the grass family), over 120 feet high, 
curves gracefully over the river (see Gardeners' 
Chronicle, August 27th, 1881, fig. 54). Apart from 
the scientific department— the Herbarium, 
Library, Museum, and Research Laboratory, fee- 
there are other features in these gardens whicli 
prove equally attractive and interesting to the 
stranger, but fear of trespassing on your space 
forbids the mention of more.— if. F. MacmiUan, 
June 23rd. 
. » . 
PLANTING IN NYaSS ALAND, B.C. AFRICA. 
22nd May, 1900. 
We have the same 
BLIGHT ON TEA 
here as your estates are troubled with. It came 
on my tea for the first time during a spell of dry 
weather in the middle of our rainy season. I 
also noticed jungle plants, chillies, sou-sop, and 
bullock heart trees had the same blight, losing 
their flush of tender leaves and their growth was 
retarded for about a month. I have no doubt 
this blight was due to the sudden stoppage of rain, 
a veiy unusual thing at that time of year. The 
tea seems to have recovered and is growing well 
again. I have just finished gathering a crop 
from my 
FIRST SHADE COFFEE 
of over eight hundredweights per acre. The plants 
are three years old last month, and look as if 
they had not borne a bean so fresh and green with 
only a yellow tree here and there where overborne. 
I do not intend to extend tea cultivation, but in 
case of accidents to shade coffee (as experienced 
by the scorching of one's coffee in the open) I mean 
to have 8 to 10 acres to fall back upon for seed. 
CEARA RUBBER 
does well here, I have trees four years old 15 feet 
high with a stem 14 inclies in circumference, but 
what the yield of rubber may be, later on, re- 
mains to be seen. I will tap one or two trees in 
about 18 months' time and let you know the result. 
Our climate seems to suit Ceara, and if tapped 
when the sap begins to rise, after tlie tree is done 
wintering, the yield should be as much as in its 
own csuntry. 
CACAO. 
Only one tree that I know of exists in the country 
and Mr. Moir of Lauderdale is the lucky owner. 
This climate, however, loes not seem to suit this 
product, for the tree is only about 5 feet high with 
3 feet branches and is now some six years in the 
country. Every care has been taken to keep wind 
and weather from the plant, and manure has 
been lavished on it, but it does not thrive ; our 
winter months nearly kill it. Thermometer goes 
down to 48° and we have often frost in June at 
nig'it. 
GUEVILLEAS AND GUMS 
do well here : wliat do you tliink of Grevillea 
Robusta eight years old, 100 feet higli and 5 feet 
in circumference at 3 feet from the ground ? 
I am goiog to try a kraal this coming dry 
season, 
ZEBRAS 
swarm in a certain locality I know of, well suited 
for the job ; and the natives delight in such 
vacations. In the olden days they used to dig 
pits and erect fences and drive the game into 
the pits, but they ilo not understand catching 
game alive, tliey want nyama " meat. I will 
let you know my success.— Adieu ! H.B. 
P.S. — I never get an Observer that I do not 
see tlie death of somebody I knew when in Ceylon: 
fancy good John Fraser, John Bagra, and Alex. 
Ross gone over to the niajority, it makes one 
wonder, when such men go over the border so 
early, when our turn will come, warning one to 
watch and be ready. H.B. 
PLANTING IN PERAK. 
(From the Administration Report for 1S99.) 
The total area of agricultural land alienated 
in Perak amounts to 244,215 acres, and the chief 
products 
RICE, SUGAR, COCONUTS, LIBERIAN 
COFFEE, AND RUBBER. 
Rice is cultivated throughout the State, 
but especially in the districts of Krianand 
Kuala Kangsar, and a large proportion of 
the Krian padi, which is planted almost ex- 
clusively by Malays, is sent to be husked in the 
mills at Penang, wlience it is returned to Perak 
in the form of rice. Irrigation schemes, in con- 
nection with the cultivation of rice, are being 
carried out by Government, or with Government 
assistance, in every district, and the last harvest 
was a good one ; but the supply of locally grown 
rice is still quite insufficient to meet the re- 
quirements of the State. The cultivation of sugar 
is being rapidly extended, both on European and 
Chinese plantations, in all the coast districts. 
Owing to the low market price of coffee, espe- 
cially during the earlier months of the year, 
little, if any, new land was brought under culti- 
vation, but large areas were planted with rubber 
of various kinds, cliiefly Para Ra.mhong. The 
revenue collected by the Forest Department 
amounted to $122,616. The work carried out 
chiefly consisted in the demarcation of reserves, 
the establishment of nurseries, and the issue 
and supervision of passes for taking timber and 
.iuna;le prorluce. Thirty miles of forest reserve 
boundaries were cleared and demarcated during 
the year ; nurseries and plantations of rubber 
(Par?x and Rambong), and valuable timber 
(Merbau. Chengal and Mahogany) were established 
at Taiping and Pondok Tanjong, in the District 
of Larut ; and, owing to the strict supervision 
of the Forest Officer and his Assistants, there 
is now comparatively little illicit cutting of 
timber and collection of jungle produce, although 
