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e:. TRACTS FROM THE REPORT OF THE ACTING CURATOR, PERADENIYA GARDEN. 
Cultivation and Exjjeriments. — In this department the main part of the skilled and cooly labour 
has been used. Large plots of ornamental plants such as cannas, roses, and palms, economic plants 
such as species of Grotalaria now used so extensively as a nitrogenous manure for tea in Ceylon, Para 
and Ceara rubber, ebonies, guttaperchas, durians, and mangosteens, have been commenced in order to 
keep up the supply to the public. 
Large medicinal plots have beeu started behind the cattle shed and near the kitchen garden, 
primarily with the object of making a j epresentative collection of all the more valuable Ceylon species, 
and secondly, to supply the general public with quantities of especially valuable species. There has 
been a fair demand for Brucea Sumairana, Wright ia zeylanica, and Ixora coccinea during the 
year. 
■ A plot behind the Curator's office has been allotted for the experimental cultivation of fourteen 
kinds of cocoanut presented to the gardens by W. H. Wright, Esq., Mirigama. In this collection it is 
satisfactory to note that many of the nuts, particularly the Siam, Maldive, and King varieties, have 
already begun to sprout. This is a valuable contribution to the garden, and every care is being taken 
to rear healthy plants. 
Experimental ciTltivationshave been established for sandalwood trees. Pot and plot experiments 
are being carried on in all conditions of soil. We hope to settle whether they are ever parasitic, and the 
best conditions for development. 
Grafting^ Layering^ and Cuttings. — The Java method of grafting has been used in many of our 
experiments. " The scion is cut from green wood, and the notch is cut in green wood of the stock. 
The scion is cut about Iialf inch below the leaves with long cuts on both sides to a long V-shaped apex. 
A corresponding notch is made in the stock, starting between two leaves. The leaves of the scion and 
of stock are removed at and just below the graft. The graft is then tightly bound with wax and bark, 
and a small glass test tube is placed over the whole to keep the air damp, &c." An improvement has 
been- made in this experiment, which enables us to maintain an equable temperature and humidity in 
the region of the graft. 
Coffee. — In the grafting experiments with coffee, I have been principally concerned in determining 
the ease with which one kind can be grafted on to another. We have tried Aa-abian, Liberian, 
Stenophylla, and hybrid coffees with one another, sometimes having the stock an established tree, at 
other times in bamboo pots. The best results have been obtained with Arabian stock and Liberian scion, 
and with these reversed. 
Mangoes. — Grafting in mangoes is invariably easily accomplished. The Jaffna mango has been 
grafted on to rupee and honey mangoes, and many others distinguished by the native names, kolm-amt/a, 
giraive-amha, me-amha, can be grafted easily with one another. 
Oranges. — In this division the mandarin has been successfully grafted on to Citrus indica 
and C. Limonellus., and the latter on to the mandarin. We are hopeful that good results may yet l^e 
obtained in this direction, and expei-iments will be repeatedly made during the rainy seasons. 
Nutmegs. — In order to try and reduce the number of males in plants exported from the gardens, 
a considerable number of saplings have been grafted by approach. Propagation by layering, leading to 
an increase of the female trees, has been tried, with some success ; in these experiments only 10 per 
cent, of the layerings rooted, but a considerable increase can be assured by more careful work. We 
have repeatedly tried grafting female on male trees and vice versa, but so far have no good results to 
report. In two cases only were we successful in grafting trees in bearing on to sapling stocks ; this was 
by the " approach " method, and not by fitting scion into incision of stock, 
Mangosteen. — Successful experiments have been made in layering, but the grafting of the 
mangosteen on to the Cochin goralca is not so easy a matter. We have reason to expect that good 
results can be obtained by grafting these by approach in the sapling stage, and for this purpose the 
whole of the year's seed supply of mangosteens has been reserv.d. 
Cacao. — We have been successful in grafting one variety on to another in about 30 per cent, of 
the experiments. In layering and reproduction from cuttings much labour has been spent. The only 
successful cuttings have been in soil which is very sandy, practically free from all leaf mould, and 
supplied with running water at irregular intervals. In one set of cuttings only those situated along 
the course of a small stream, and therefore subject to occasional miniature floods, were successful. This 
is an important point to note. The cuttings were taken at all ages, but only the Avoody ones about as 
thick as a man's finger were of any use. Young twigs with young and mature leaves were tried in pots 
of sand covered with glass bell jars, but gave no successful results. 
