126 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURiST. 
tAuG. 1, 1901. 
tea at Nuwara Eliya so early as 1837 ! He also 
laid oat the beautiful group of palms at the 
entrance to tlie Peradeniya (hardens. 
A second paper by Mr. Willis is on 'ithe 
Royal Botanic Gardens of Ceylon as a centre 
for Botanical Study and Research," a popular 
statement which ought to be tlie mea.ns of 
bringing many scientific visitors to Ceylon. 
It is mentiontd, inter alia, tliat a resthouse 
is shortly to be opeiied at Peradeniya and 
other accommodation is often available. 
It will be understood that the "Annals" 
are to be devoted chiefly to scientific botanical 
papers (some in French and Grerman) and will 
not interfere with the appearance from time 
to time of the Gardens ' Circulars" on plant- 
ing topics which have liitherto been so much 
appreciated, and most of which have been 
reproduced in our Tropical Agriculturist. 
In conclusion we may quote the following 
particulars from the History of the Gardens:— 
The present organization and staff of the Dopart- 
ment is as follows : — 
Director: J. C. Willis, m.a., f.l.s. 
Chief Clerk : R. H. Pereira. 
SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT. 
Botanist : The Director. 
Aasistauc Director and Mycologist : J. JB. Oarru- 
thers, F.L.S. 
Bntomolosist: E. E. Green, f.e.s. 
Agricultural Chemist ; M. K. Bamber, r.c.s. 
Assistant: H. Wright, a.r.c.s. 
Draughtsman : W. de Alwis, Muhandiram. 
Herbarium and Laboratory Attendants, and two 
Plant Collectors. 
BOTANIC GAEDENS DEPARTMENT. 
Peradeniya. — Curator : H. ]?. Macmillnn, and native 
stafi. 
Hakgala.— Superintendent : W. Nock, and native 
staff. 
Henaratgoda,— Conductor: S. de Silva, and coolies. 
Anuradhapura. — Conductor : D. F. de Silva, and 
coolies. 
Badulla. — Conductor : D. D. Fernando, and coolies. 
PROPOSED EXPERIMENTAL GARDENS DEPARTMENT 
AND AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. 
(Not yet organised.) 
Superintendent, foremen, and coolies. 
Teaching Staff : The Ofi&cers of the Department. 
GREEN TEA REPORT. 
(FOR THE WEEK ENDING 6TH JUNE, 1901.) 
Ceylon Green Tea. — The prices paid are a little 
stronger than at last sales, full-sized breaks being 
competed for, but so many of the teas arrive in 
quantity so insignificant as not to make it V70rth 
buyers while to attend to them: twenty lots this 
week totalled only 103 packages, only one line ex- 
ceeding IH chests, many being but one to three 
chests or halves : the prices consequently being very 
low, one invoice averaging 2^d per lb. 
Walker, Lambe & Co. 
The Deaf Hear.— No. 479 of The Illnstrated 
■H^orW of 620, Cliiswick High Road, London, W., 
England, contain.s a description of a Remarkable 
Cure for Deafnesn and Head Noises which may be 
carried out at tiic patient'.s Irome, and which is 
said to be a certain cure. This number will be 
sent free to any deaf persont? sending their address 
to the Editor. 
INDIA AND FRENCH IMPORT DUTIES. 
EXTENSION OP THE MINIMUM TARIFF. 
Simla, July 10.— The following has been 
issued by the Finance Department :—" By a 
Decree published on the 27th December, 1900, 
the French Government continued till the 
30th June, 1901, their minimum tariff for 
Colonial produce of various countries, includ- 
ing British possessions. Intimation has been 
received from the Secretary of State for 
India, that the minimum tariff has been 
further prolonged till the 23rd Feb. next." 
NO FRENCH COUNTER-PROPOSALS. 
Simla, July 11.— No special proposals from 
the French Government have reached the 
Government ol India for relaxing the Indian 
import duties in favour of France, or facili- 
tating cooly emigration to Madagascar, in 
return for continuing the present French 
tariff. — Madras Mail, 
NEGRI SEMBILAN. 
(Extracts from tlie Annual Report for the 
year 1900.) 
The Revenue collected during the year amounted t« 
^1,251,366 14, as against $1,085,015 collected in 1899. 
The total value of trade amounted to no less than 
$11,330,000, being an increase of 92,489,000 over that 
of the previous year. The export of coffee, tapioca, 
and tin showed a considerable increase, but in the cas« 
of gambler and pepper there was a decrease. 
Coffee.— The price of coffee, which showed some 
little improvement in March, has again fallen to a 
figure which can only be remunerative to the most 
economically managed, as well as the most produc- 
tive, estates. To make matters worse, in Jane, a 
veritable plague of caterpillars, the larva of Oeph»- 
nodes hylas. one of the bee hawk moths, was found 
to be infesting many estates. Previous experience 
in Selangor has shown that the onlr remedy likely 
to be of use was to pick the caterpillars off by hand, 
and to enable this to be promptly done the Govern- 
ment lent as much labour as was available. Many 
estates were attacked, most were rescued after a 
large expenditure, but one had to be cut down and 
burnt. The owner of the latter, a Chinamai;, was 
compensated by the grant of a tract of mining land. 
The Resident of Selangor rendered much assistance 
to Negri Sembilan by sending Mr. Batler, the 
Curator of the Selangor "Museum, who had experience 
of previous outbreaks in Selangor, to advise and 
assist in the extermination of the caterpillars. I 
desire to record the'thanks of this Government to both 
the above gentlemen. More than one estate went out 
of cultivation during the year, which has been one of 
great severity to all coffee estate owners. 
Padi.— The crop of padi just harvested has proved 
generally poor. This is attributed to a prolonged 
drought, which set in soon after the young plants 
were transplanted to the fields, and to the absence, 
through the ravages of rinderpest, of a sufficient 
number of buffaloes when the fields were prepared. 
In parts, rats are said to have done much damige. 
Next season it is proposed to experiment with Loffler'a 
typhimurim bacillus, which, if successful, should prove 
a great boon to the native community. In the Coast 
district steps were taken to encourage the settlement 
of some Banjarese padi planters, but nothing has yet 
been settled. These people have shown themselves 
most expert padi planters in the Krian district of 
Perak and their settlement in Negri Sembilan ia 
greatly to be desired. 
Tapioca.— Applications continue to come in for 
lands for tapioca c«ltivation, and attempts, not alto- 
gether Buccessful, have been made to insist on some 
