206 
THE TKOPlCAL AGllICULTUEIST:. 
[Sept. 1, 1.903. 
distances in good order." Seeds from Para 
Rubber trees, growing far and high up in 
the interior (possibly a new variety), _ is 
attracting attentioii. West African ''Silk 
rnbhf r," i'untuinin elastica, trees are making 
splendid growth. Trees not four years old 
are over 2i) feet high with stems 12 inches 
in circumference. Landolphias (creepers) are 
grown against the Indian rain tree, F'lthe- 
c.olohium Saman, and give excellent rubber 
fluids which easily coagulated. Mr. Hart is 
succeeding with the camplior tree, citronella 
grass, various fibre plants, peppers, vanilla, 
chive, cinnamon, giusrer, kola, &c. He is 
strong on the value of Eri/thTina (Immortelle) 
as shade for cacao, and the flowers are said, 
to h.ave a liigh nitrogenous value. With 
various fruits— mangoes, oranges, mango- 
steens, lemons, plantains, &c. — Mr. Hart is 
experimenting with more or less success. His 
colfee hybrids nre turning out well and are 
favourably reported on from Mincing Lane; 
hut nothing is said as to their being proof 
against the fungus, hemileia vasiatrix. Mr. 
Hart pays special attention to his cacao sec- 
tion, Jind new varieties— one from Venezuela 
and Thenhroma jjentagona—iive doing well. 
He is a strong believer in the value of graft- 
iiigcacaoof tlie best kinds and feels sure this 
will result in samples of fruit far superior to 
any now seen. So Mr. Herbert Wright will 
have to hurry on at Gangaroowa and show 
how a plot of grafted cacaos of the best 
kinds — from strong, large trees with heavy 
crops and large beans— arc to do in Ceylon, 
For luller information of valuable experiments 
in Trinidad we can only refer to September's 
Tropical Agriculturist. 
HORTICULTURE IN NUWARA ELIYA. 
A VISIT TO MR. JOHN COTTON'S OHCHAKD. 
The ])iide of Mr. Cotton'ss orchard just now is the 
single apple (of the size of an orange) known as 
the Kentish Fill Basket, on a tree about 7 feet 
liigli, which Mr. Cotton a few years b^ok gob 
from Mr. A.J. Kellow of Albion, NuwaraEliya, and' 
planteii about his orchard till at last it seems to 
have got placed in proper soil and is now faiiidly 
growing into a his tree. Mr. Cotton lias just ini- 
))orted plants of the Beauty of Stoke, Boston, 
Busset, and Emperor Alexander; these have all 
bepn set about two weeks las-t Friday, and to all 
ajipearances have started to grow. Mr. Cotton 
hopes soon to have plants of all the varieties to sell. 
Cheeeiks. — The latest varieties have been im- 
ported and set durin? July, amone them Purple 
Jean, Waterloo, Florence and the Verdus (black 
variety) all striking new buds famou.'^ly. Mr. 
Cotton's experience with imported cherry plants 
is wide. 
Plums. — The success which has attended the 
lied Heart Plum of whicli several hundred fruits 
weiglied down the many trees both last year and 
tilts year, and the propajration of cuttings being 
alike successful and easy — the result has encouraged 
Mr. Cotton to experiment v^^ith the Gohien Diop, 
Diamond, General Hand. Orleans, General Sago, 
an d the Golden Heart. The orchard has just now 
in bearing the Ootacamund and Kelsey beside the 
Gulden Heait, The .sale of the Bet! Heait Plum 
plants has been a big one and the demand con- 
linues to increase. He would strongly recommend 
19 every land-ownei' to jilanti put the iiw^ H^avt 
Plum— those in the wriler's yard, barely two 
years, are just now in llowfer arid ^roWn \Viihoijfc' 
much fussing or care. 
English Goosebceeiks. — Of ihe.«e there are the 
green, red, white and yellow var^e'les growing in • 
the orchard, and Mr. Cotton w.ts kind etiough to 
mention that this v.'as his first Ktlempt with Goose- 
b. rries, and he was quite certain liiat the plants, 
which weie locking healthy and in fair growth for 
the short period they have ijeen put flown, were for 
the fir.=t time experimented with in Nuwr.ra Kliya. 
CuREANTS. — Red and white; these plants put 
down during the middle of last seascn came to 
fiuit early this year and had a few .'prirg^ on 
them, much to Mr. Cotton's delight. The plants 
are now coming on rapiiily. and Mr. Cotton expects 
lo be able in a few iiiontb.v' time to graft cuttings 
of all the above varieties fur anybody wanting to 
plant out these fruits about tlieir home=. 
Orrange.s. — The imported plants of last year 
are doing well and yoiuig jfiants from these will 
he available by the end of October. Just now a 
few plants are on hand, which await booking. 
That further success may attend Mr. Cotton is the 
W'ish we express heartily ; for, he is a resident 
Avorthy of the clime he has decided lo live in for so 
many years past. — Cor. 
^ 
A DISEASED OR DIRTY "GARDEN'S" 
ACT FOR CEYLON. 
Ever since in 1869 we saw farm fields 
in Tasmafiia, nicely enclosed by stoiie walls or 
dykes, but in some cases, bearing one 
continuous crop Of thistles, from wall 
to wall, and learned that a Thistle Act 
had to be passed in the Colony to deal 
with such cases, we have, from time' 
to time, pointed out the need of a similar 
Ordinance in Ceylon. At one time " white 
weed " on colfee estates was the gre.at trouble 
— one neglected dirty property imperilling 
its neighbours and causing heavy expense f 
but who hears much of " white weed " how. 
Other weeds have in many districts superseded 
it, jiist as lantana is so'freely losing ground, 
npcountry. No\y a-days, it is the cacao 
l>lanter who specially wants protection, 
and^that very much from n,ative neighbours 
who. will not deal with, or destroy, their 
diseased trees, from which the fungi 
or other enemies freely spread. Most ap» 
plicable, too, would such an Ordinance be 
to the case of neglected coconut gardens. 
We have had expensive personal experience 
in this direction. The owner of a well-tended, 
garden cf palnfis, dies : it falls into as indiffer- 
ent hands, gets quite neglected, and becomes 
a regular breeding-place for beetles whicli, of 
course, fly over into the adjoining gardens. 
In such a case a law giving adjacent owners, 
the power, .after due intimation, of enter* 
ing and destroying beetle-infested palms, 
or corners full of illuk-grass, the expensfe 
to be a first charge on the property,— would, 
seem to beequitable. 'i he same applies exactly' 
to the case of diseased and neglected cacao 
gardens ; and in both cases, there could be 
an official inspection and repott — Mr. 
Carruthers, Mycologist, and Mr. Gyeen, 
Entomologist, being available—before due 
notice was given, and fa4liug redress, actipQ 
taken at the expeHse of the owiiei:, 
