294 
Supplement to the " Tropkal Agriculturist." [Oct. 1, 190C. 
to sliding aud clipping. The operator sits reit 
ing cue thigh on each wing of thu rest aud 
one hand at least is comparatively free to fix 
the hood over the bunch of nuts or to sever 
the bunch, when ripe, from the stem. The 
bunches when ripe are lowered to the ground 
by being slung to a rope over which they ride. 
Any one who has seen a bunch of betel-nuts 
can easily determine how the bunches are placed 
on the rope. They rapidly slide down and are 
caught by a man who holds the end of the 
rope at the ground. The stretched rope is held 
inclined at a considerable length from the tree. 
(Z'o be Concluded.) 
05 THE FORESTS AND WASTE LA^'DS 
OP CEYLON. 
By a. F. Broun, Esq., 
Conservator of Forests. 
(Concluded.) 
The Mountain Zone. — The forests of this 
zone form the cap of the island. It is from 
them that all the most important rivers take then- 
rise and for the preservation of water supply it 
is therefore necessary that they be preserved. 
The highest summits of the island, unless they 
are too rocky for tree growth, are covered with 
trees which form a continuous sheet from Pedro 
Peak to Hakgala, from thence to Totapeia, and 
in a curved line to Kirigalpotta and Adam's Peak. 
The forests are found on both sides of the ridges, 
but the tea estates of Bogawantalawa and 
Ma'keliya have encroached far up the slopes, 
it is not improbable that to these clearings is due 
to the silting up of the lower reaches of the 
Kelauiganga, and the consequent frequent inun- 
dations which are a plague in the low -country 
A wise rule now prevails to allow no sale of 
Crown lands above 5,000 feet, and there are not 
many of these left between 4,000 and 5,000 feet. 
The general character of the forests of the moun- 
tain zone is the same as that of the dry country ; 
the trees are flat topped, not generally very tall, 
and the undergrowth is not unlike in general 
appearance, the most characteristic are several 
snecies of Eiujenia, Calophyllmn Walkerii, Michelm 
nilanirica, Gordonia zeylanka, Eloeocarpus obo- 
vatus E. glanduUfer, Meliosma pungens, Litsea 
(o species), Rhododendron arboreum, &c. 
The undergrowth consists, especially above 
6 000 feet, mostly of t^e numerous species of 
Strobilanthes which flower and die down every 
twelve years, and some of which reach a height 
of '>0 feet and a girth of trunk of 12 inches. 
During the flowering time the forest is a blaze of 
colour and swarms of bees, attracted to the 
flowers produce abundance of honey, which has a 
neculiar flavour. When the seed ripens, thousands 
of iungle fowl suddenly appear wandering up 
from the low-country for the food, which they 
obtain abundantly. 
Besides these plants, there are also large quan- 
tities of the little hill Bamboo (Aruudmaria), 
onecies of Coleus, Iledyotis, aud ferns, of which 
the most noticeable and characteristic is the 
liandeome tree fern AUophila crinita, which is 
found in moist places, in gullies, or on the face 
of moist rocky precipice;-. The stem of this 
oecasionaliy attains a length of 40 feel. Among 
others the most interesting are Loinariu Patersoni, 
Lastroea Beddomii, Leptograinme Totta, Omiunda 
javanica (in sunny places near streams), JJiacalpe 
nspidioides, Duodia dives, and Marmitu fraxinea, 
the last being only found in the lower portion of 
zone, Te'^l&oXn^ Angiopteris evecta, which it closely 
resembles. The moisture in the atmosphere 
causes the branches and truuk of trees to be 
covered with epiphytic plaurs, such as numerous 
mosses, ferns, of which some Ugmeaopliyllums 
closely resemble the mosses, and orchid*, the 
most beautiful of which latter are Dendt\>bium 
(lureum, Cologyne odoratisdnia, and Eria iicolor, 
aud creeping plants such as Piper, MedinilUi 
fuchsioidsg, &c. In this zone are found the 
strange Balanaphoras, which are found at higher 
elevations only within the tropics. 
European genera are found mostly in this zone, 
but, on the whole, they occur chiefly in well-lit 
localities, or in patatias, and, excepting Rhodo- 
dendron arboreuvi, the majority are shrubs or 
herbaceous plants, such are Berberis, Cardamime, 
Viola, Hyijericum, Rubus, Viburnuin, Anaphalis, 
Lobelia, Campanula,, Gentiana, Pedicular is, 
Drosera, &c. Exceptions to this rule are Impa- 
tiens, of which there are numerous species, some 
extremely handsome, Vaecinium and Ilex, which 
all grow under shade. 
This concludes my sketchof the forest flora of 
Ceylon. It is a very incomplete one, but with a 
wealth of species to choose from, it is difficult not 
to omit a number of characteristic ones. To this 
may be attributed any glaring omissions, as well 
as to the fact that the writer of this notice can 
in no way lay any claim to being considered 
anything botanically but an amateur. 
INDIAN FORESTKY. 
University, Edinburgh, August, 1900. 
SiE, — The reference to Indian Forestry made 
in the London letter of your issue of 30th 
July opens a subject that should receive more 
notice at this time in view of its bearing upon 
famine in India, The following quotation conveys 
a world of meaning to the initiated: — "Lord 
Elgin corrected the one miscake of the Depart- 
ment, which carried out too stringently the rules 
for minor produce. Now tlie forest pastures and 
brushwood are thrown open to the people to 
preserve their cattle in time of famine, aud the 
old jealousy between the district and the forest 
officers has ceased," 
In the published account of my visit to India 
in 1887, while pointing out the great benefits to 
India of forest conservancy and urging its enor- 
mous extension on more rational lines, I was able 
to point to more than one mistake of the Depart- 
ment and also to give several excellent reasons 
why such mistakes were possible. I beliered 
then, as now, "that the best interests of the 
Empire must suffer if the main object of the 
efforts of the Forest Department is reduced to 
the growth of forest trees."' It is proba.bJy a 
little premature to assert that the Forest Depart- 
