Maech 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
585 
remarkable what exceptional results have been 
obtaiued in the sphere of cultivation by this zealous 
and capable manaster. It is hardly credible that 
no where else in the tropics will one meet with such a 
rich collection of flowers indigenous to temperate 
climates, in number of species and varieties, as that 
which one is able to see at Hakgala. That the 
Eucalypti and other Australian trees thrive well there 
is due to the climate ; varieties of Cupressus also grow 
well there. Fine specimens of tree-ferns, both indi- 
genous to Ceylon and to New Zealand and Australia, 
also attract attention. In the lawns stand handsome 
specimens of Bocconia fnitescens, whilst a large and 
well-grown example of Pinus longifolia strikes the eye 
by its dimensions. 
In the last annual report the mention of the one 
that was observed in the botanic garden at Penang 
gave occasion for a brief consideration of our hill 
garden at Tjibodas ; something similar is now, on the 
ground of the visit to Hakgala, once more the case. 
Both the hill gardens, Hakgala and Tjibodas, are 
capable, as regards the object aimed at, of only a 
very limited comparison. The very great importance 
that, from a scientific point of view, attaches to 
Tjibodas as a station for the trial of the luxuriant 
flora of a primeval tropical hill forest is not to be 
sought after at Hakgala, because in that respect, 
the conditions there are in no wise so favourable 
as in our hill garden, Nevertheless the Ceylon hill 
garden can, in other respects, servo as an example 
to ours. In the first place there leads to Hakgala a 
winding carriage road iu excellent condition, so 
that the garden can be reacheu without difficulty. 
Herein a comparison with Tjibodas very far from 
turns in our favour, since we do not even possess «,n ele- 
mentary cart road to reach our hill garden. As 
it is to be feared that even such a simple road 
must as yet continue to belong to the pia vota, 
we shall have to resign ourselves to the thought 
that scientific students who visit first the Ceylon 
gardens and then the Lands Plantentuin — as some- 
times happens — will consider the accessibility of 
our mountain branch as not quite " up to date." 
Hakgala also surpasses Tjibodas in the state of 
upkeep of plantations and roads, which is intelli- 
gible when one knows that about 11,000 rupees a year 
are spent on the Ceylon hill-garden, for all expenses 
inclusive. 
On 1st July we returned to Peradeniya, where 
a"nother couple of days were spent at the head estab- 
lishment, after which the undersigned, under the 
guidance of Mr, Willis, set out on the journey to 
the northern branch, that of Anuradhapura. Of this 
garden, which truly in comparison with the two hill 
gardens spoken of, those of Tijibodas and Hakgala, 
occupies a very inferior place, one can certainly 
not say that it is easily accessible. In order to get 
there one must first go in the evening by train to 
Matale, where one stays the night ia an excellently 
managed resthouse. After this one proceeds the 
following morning by mail coach in order, if all the 
circumstances are favourable, to reach Anuradhapura 
twelve hours later. Indeed we might consider it 
fortunate that the journey was accomplished in the 
regulated time, nevertheless the chief impression of 
that journey may be best expressed by the well- 
known quotation from the " Camera obscura." 
"How hot it was aud how far.'' 
The first portion of the road goes through a well 
cultivated and not yet too dry r«gion ; one rid»s, 
among others, along extensive ca,cao plantations, 
that stand under very dense shade. According to 
what I was told, the planters have adopted thit 
a? a remedy against the attack of helojieltis ; that they 
had thereby however fallen into the evil — and this 
view is very plausible — of having by too 
much shade helped the development of parasitic 
fungi. On behalf of the Ceylon planters Mr. J. 
P. Carruthers, a competent and energetic young 
English botanist, had spent some time iu the colony 
jn order to make a study of the parasites of vege- 
table nature that do harm to the cacao culture. 
Many a useful hint to the planters has already Ibeea 
the fruit of this investigation. 
Farther up one comes into the true dry region 
that embraces so large a part of North Ceylon. 
Long straight roads over a gently undulating plain 
lead through a comfortless, monotonous, unfruitful 
and sparsely populated region, covered with brush- 
wood and low trees. And yet in earlier times this 
was different. Some 2,000 years ago Anuradhapura 
was the great and populous capital of Ceylon ; in 
the vicinity were then found gigantic works of art, 
namely enormous water reservoirs — more strictly 
speaking artificial lakes — which by means of regular 
irrigation had to guarantee the fertility of the 
region. Of all this there remains nothing mora 
than extensive portions becoming marshy or evapora- 
ting puddles, where thousands and thousands of 
herons, storks, ibises, plovers, cormorants and a 
host of other waterfowl alone have sway. 
Towards the fall of the evening we reached 
Anuradhapura, where, on a large plain, surrounded 
by strange and fantastic ruins and buildings, no 
longer easily to be discerned in the gloaming, 
crowds of pilgrims with hundred of lights and lamps 
had pitched their camps in the most picturesque 
confusion near their carts and unyoked oxen. In 
a resthouse that, as regards accommodation and 
cleanliness, can easily compete with most of our Java 
hotels, and far surpasses our pasanqrahems, we 
found a very grateful sheltei'. 
The little Garden at Anuradhapura was begun in 
1885, with the object of making of it a sort of 
culture garden, especially for those tropical plants 
that do not bear a moist climate well and prefer 
drought and heat. Just in the year in question th« 
drought was so severe, that several plants in the 
garden died, both trees and shrubs and herbs, 
which have since been as far as possible replaced 
by new specimens. A considerable portion of the 
labor force must be utilized in the middle of the 
year for bringing water and watering. That under 
such unfavourable circumstances the condition of 
the plantation is not flourishing is evident. 
Moreover the overseer can be but little controlled 
owing to the great distance — through troublesome 
communication — that separates Anuradhapura from 
Peradeniya. The difficult communication carries 
with it also the evil, that useful plants which, 
according to experiments made in the garden, will 
thrive well under the existing climatological con- 
ditionf, as for example cotton, nevertheless as yet 
afford no opportunity for distribution for planting 
on a large scale, because the cost of transport of 
the product is too high. For the time being 
there is therefore not much to say about the little 
garden at Anuradhapura. When however the pro- 
jected railway connection shall have opened an easy 
communication with the south of the island, and 
greater certainty of water supply is arrived at, 
then it will be possible to propagate a larger num- 
ber of useful plants, fruit trees and others, in the 
garden at Anuradhapura and distribute them 
from there in the neighbourhood. 
The place could not be left without a visit to a 
great botanic curiosity, which, together with the 
ruins and the dagobas, is the objecc of the crowds of 
Buddhist pilgrims, who, especially at certain times 
of the year, stream towards Anuradhpura. I refer 
to the sacred bo-tree (Ficus religiosa), regarding 
which its seems to be known with certainty that 
it was planted 288 years before our era by a certain 
King Dewanampiya'tissa. Of this tree nearly i2,20O 
years old— probably the oldest of all trees upon our 
earth of which the age is known — some portions are 
still, surrounded by a high enclosure and carefully 
guarded by Buddhist priests, living, whilst in addition 
several of its off-shoots, also of a respectable age, 
grow vigorously inside an outer wall that separates 
the holy place from the outer world. 
Had it not been our intention to become personally 
acquainted with all the branches^ of the botanig 
