March 1, 1901.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
rose to a maximum of only 6S cents, while sixteen 
years ago the lowest prices— 28 cents per pound- 
were realized. As has been said, the caltuce is still 
possible for natives with prices o£ 30 cents the 
pTUud. One reckons on an average annual return of 
100 English pounds per acre and a maxima ni of 
150 pounds. A certain quantity also— which is in- 
creasing — of cinnamon oil is exported, whilst froni 
the leaves is prepared the "cinnamon leaf oil" 
that realizes 22 cents per ounce. 
Of Cirdamoms there was exported the quantity > 
that remained pretty constant during the last few 
yeirs, of about half a million pounds per ye-ir, at 
prices varying for Rl-6 to R2'2 per pound. 
The export of Cacao, which is increasing, amounted 
in the first half of the year under report to 
27,010 cwt., generally taken at 37 to 38 rupees per 
cwt,, whilst there is one estate the produce of 
which fetched 55 rupees. 
The export of Coffee from 1st Jan. to 28 .Tune 1398 
amounted to only 6,560 cwt; against 38,397 in the 
same period of 1895; that of Cinchona bark in the 
aime time 395,716 pounds against 498,973 in 1895, 
Ebony and Sapanwood are still exported, but in 
steadily diminishing quantities : in the first half of 
the year of report respectively 1,854 and 2,086 cwt. 
Of fibres wer.i also shipped, in the pwriod in 
question, palmyra fibre (of Borassus iiahellifonnis) 
15,763 cwt , and kitul fibre (of Cari/ota urciis) 2,181 
cwt., more certainly than in both the preceding 
years, but then somewhat like the export in the 
first half 1895. There . may be mentioned, that 
the fibre of Fowci'oya gir/aiitea is not exported from 
Ceylon, although the plant grows excellently there, 
because no profit is seen in the prices obtained 
from the cultivation and preparation. 
At the conclusion of these short data regarding 
the vegetable export products of Ceylon it may be 
repeated that of the chief of those products, tea, 
in the whole year 1898 were exported a trifle of 120 
million pounds, being almost 4 million pounds more 
than in the preceding year. 
Fmally there remains just one word upon a subject 
totally different from the foregoing, namely, a visit 
to the Museum at Colombo. 
It is a handsome building of two stories in front of 
which is a large lawn with a statue of Sir William 
Gregory, the former Governor of Ceylon, already 
spoken of. Commenced in 1877 in the so-called 
"Cinnamon Gardens," the Museum was reserved 
for all that Ceylon produces in products of agricul- 
ture and industry, minerals and gems, collections of 
natural history and ethnological as well as anthro- 
pological collections, as also for a library. 
There is a special reason why the Colombo Bluseum 
is mentioned here ; namely, the presence on the 
second floor of an exceptionally fine zoological col- 
lection, continuing to remain in an uncommonly good 
state, also entirely confined to the Ceylon fauna. 
The present writer was also previously under the 
delusion that in a constantly moist tropical climate 
it is as good as impossible to preserve a Zoological 
Museum in only a tolerable condition. A visit to 
the zoological collections of the Museum at Colombo 
shows, in the most convincing manner, the injustice 
of this opinion. The collections look so good and 
well preserved and the mounting is so effective, 
that one could not find better in any single Euro- 
pean Museum. This result, which cannot be too 
highly commended, was attained by continued ex- 
pert oversight and particular maintenance. Such a 
zoological collection must be of specially great use 
for those that concern themselves in the natural 
history of the island, either from a purely scientific 
point of view or from practical interest. 
It is certainly a matter of shame to us residents 
in Netherlands India that we have not been able to 
produce anything in any way like this, 
' The hope may perhaps be entertained, 
that within not too long a period we may 
get in Java b, simple but well-kept Zoologioa Museum 
miintained under expert supervision, and in that 
way, with our rich fauna and our so much more im- 
portant island, no longer stand entirely behind Ceylon 
in the matter la question. 
Snch a Museum would for us be for two reasons of 
great importance. In the first place, because the 
number of zoologists that cor.ie to Java is steadily 
increasing ; in the second, because a Museum such 
as that referred to cannot be otherwise than a guide 
of great value for all questions of practical moment, 
especially as regards agriculture. 
On 15lh July we once more embarked, in order to 
return to Buiteuzorg viz Singapore, convinced of the 
great use that the visit to Ceylon had been to us. 
With the literally daily correspondence that the 
Lauds Plantentuin has with foreign countries and 
the great nnmber of foreign visitors that como 
there — both students of nature and persons dependent 
on or interested in agriculture and horticulture — it 
is, for him who has the honor to superintend the 
establishment, of the greatest value to be able to 
leirn hij personal observation what there is in other 
colonies in the same or in a similar domain. 
Besides : if there is with us much, the superiority 
of which Ofer that existing elsewhere may with 
jastioe be mentioned, that does not prevent the 
observations made abroad from being in not a few 
cases of service to our successors also, and the eye 
is opened to ways whereby and directions wherein 
service can be rendered in our case also, and to which 
presumibly only very incomplete attention had been 
paid. 
In conclusion thanks are tendered by the under- 
signed to the heads of the Department for the assis- 
tance rendered to him in the compilation of this report. 
TRE QB, 
Director of the Lands Plantentuin. 
Buiteuzorg, July, 1899. 
PLANTAINS AND BANANAS. 
By Percy G. Wicken, 
Inquiries having been made as to the method of 
cultivation, and the best varieties to grow in West 
Australia, the following notes may prove of interest 
to intending growers:— 
The plantain usually attains a height of about 8 
ft., and in favourable positions often reaching 12 to 
15 ft., and the stalks a foot in diameter, it is one 
of the most striking instances of tropical fertility, 
growing in a few mouths to a size that takes other 
plants in cooler districts several years to attain. 
The plantain is to many thousands of people in the 
tropical islands what rice is to the Hmdoos, rye flour 
to the Russian, and wheaten bread to the Englisb- 
man. it is their staff of life. It is claimed as a 
native both in the old and new world, and has been 
cultivated for ages in both hemispheres. 
The banana is similar to the plantain, but tho 
fruit is smaller. There are several varieties to be 
obtained in Western Australia, viz., the sugar 
banana, apple banana, pear banana, Cavendish or 
Fiji, and the Chinesa banana ; this latter variety is 
the one most likely to prove successful in the stretch 
of country between Perth and Geraldton. It is a 
comparatively dwarf species, the stem attaining a 
height of only 5 or 6 ft. Its robust and dwarf habit 
renders it particularly fit for exposed localities, and 
this is one of the reasons why it is so extensively 
cultivated in the South Sea Islands. It is early 
maturing, is not so exhausting on the land as the 
taller growing variety, and is very prolific. 
This variety, as well as the plantain, should grow 
very well as far south as the Swan river, but it ia 
not likely to give good results further south. There 
should be a good opening for several large planta- 
tions along the banks of the Swan river or the adja- 
cent country, and having a market close at hand, 
the cultivation of this crop should prove a profitable 
undertaking. Between the Swaa river district anij 
