December i, 1891,] 
THE TROPICAL AaRJCULTURlST- 
415 
somewhat over 2, OCO feet;. " The climate here is some- 
what drier tlianou the western tide of the hill legion, 
receiving but little raiu vvitli the southweHt mouse ou.'' 
(2) Anuiiidhapura, dating from 1883, about a hunched 
miles north ot the large gnrdeu, is the ancieat capital 
of the island. Besides the iuteresting ruins at this 
point which are well worth sceiuer, there exists the 
oldest historical tree in the world, Ficus religiona, (the 
sacref Bo), assigned to 288 B. G. This gnrden has 
a short rainy season and a hot dry climate. (3) 
Heaaratgoda, 33 feet above the tea, and thurougbly 
tropical, is on the railroad running from Colombo to 
Kandy. It was fonuLled in 1876. Here certain plan's 
which cauuot te grown at Peradeuiya are very suc- 
cessfully cultivated. (4) Haiigala, established in 1860, 
as a nursery for Cinchona cnitivation, is near Nuwara 
Elija, (commonly pronounced " Newralia") thu famous 
sanitarium. It is almost 6,000 feet above tea-level,* 
in a place of surpassing benuty. Above the garden is 
a frowning double oliff 1,500 feet, high, and all round, 
the vievps are most attra,i;i.ive. The Gate ulfords Cue 
ot the bef-t of these. The landscape reaches over the 
Uva district towards tbe Haputale gap and the Bladul- 
sima hills. On entering the garden the bowildermeat 
begins. On every band one sees species in the mo.st 
grotesque juxtaposition. Plants from Australia such 
as OasuariuttS and Acacias are perfectly at home with 
East and West Indian, Japanese, and English plants. 
Of tbe latter there aro many which seemed thriity 
and well established. 
Although the garden is use! primarily for experi- 
mental purposes it has been laid out wilh regard to 
effectiveness ot grouping and wilh remarkable success. 
A botanical visitor ie, however, constantly trying to 
separate in his mind the different plants from the 
curious collocations which everywhere abound and 
demonstrate better than in any 'other place I have 
ever seen, the wide range of tolerance of climate. 
Tho Supriutendeiit Mr. W. Nock, who has had larfce 
experience in the West ludie.'i, has carried on some 
interesting experiments in sccliraatizing plants from 
tbe western hemisphere, such as " cheriinoyer " and 
the like. There are few plants in the garden more 
attractive from an economic point of view than the 
vegetables of doubtful promise, suoli as Arracachs, and 
those of assured culinary position " Ohoco" or "Ohocbo" 
{Sechium edale) for eianiple. Some of the medicinul 
plants in hand were doing well in every way, while 
others have proved somewhat difappointing, for in- 
stance, jalap and.ipecacuanha- 
The ferns, especially the tree ferns, and the species 
of Eucalyptus form one of the marked euccesBcs at 
this garden. Mr. Nock stated that the most trouble- 
some weed in the garden is a species, (perhaps more 
than a single species) of Oxalis: it is simply impossible 
to eradicate it. 
Peradenh/a. — The gardens are four miles from 
Kandy, and about eighty from Colombo. The rail- 
road passes through lowlands and rice-fields, past 
native villages surrounded by plantains and coconuts, 
and through occasional jungles, until it teicheB bight r 
ground. Tho scenery cliangta rapidly, forests now and 
then appearing in the foreground, with occasional 
views of distant castellated mountains. As tho moun- 
tains rise out of the terraced rice-ficlds atd from the 
shrubs of the jungles, the eye catches on every hand 
glimpses of groups of bent cocinut palms and straight 
arecae. It ia diflicult to realize that thete palms mean, 
perhups without exception, human habitations at ihtir 
feet. Through these scenes of enchanting beauty, the 
railroad has made its way, demanding here and there 
very skilful engineering. The track is lined with 
Lantana, which is slowly L'viug way before the eu- 
croachmcntB of a still stronger invader, a Composite 
from Mexico.! Mimosa pv.dica is alao widely spread as 
a strong weed. 
The drive from Kandy to the groat garden is through 
a well (-haded street Hued with native houses. Thete 
are gather ed at short intervals into Tillages. 
• Somewhat over 5,000, would be more correct 
— JuD. / . I . 
t The " Californian daisy," really a perennial 
suuflower, is referred to.— Ed. T, i""""*"' 
My first visits to this garden were madp, as were those 
in every other instiuice save one on the whole tour 
without reporting io the Director. In this way a 
student can take things very leisurely, and look up 
matters of detail which it ia not ri^ht or courteous to 
trouble the chiefs with : later, all special points of 
interest which havo escajfed notica are likely to be 
brought out by a walk with the Director. The estab- 
liohnibut at Pcradcniya consists (1), of 150 acres 
of garden proper and of arboreluni, (2) of a museum 
and herbarium with libri\ry attHched. Tho Director, 
Dr. Henry Trinien, widely known as an author and 
editor, 01 utrols not only these, but tho brnnch gar- 
dens as well, making his head-quarters at Peradeniya. 
Once for ail it may be said that botanists are mado 
welcome in every way, finding every facility for carry- 
ing on sysletnatio work. The clunate is healthful, 
provided one takes ordinary and reasonable precau- 
tions against exposure to tlie direct raya of tho sun 
in the notteat part of tho day. If I remember rightly 
tho director, even in his long walks through the gar- 
den and in hia excursiuns seldom wears the conven- 
tional pith-helnict. Amerio»ii students need not fear 
ihiit they will suffer greater discomfort from the hot 
weather at Kandy and Peradeniya than in summer 
in the United States and Canada. Access to Ceylon 
(and for that mutter, Java) has now been made so 
easy by the newer swift steamers, thrit it seems ad- 
visable to mention these facts about the climate. 
It is impossible to dei^cribe the wealth of material 
p'aced at tbe service of every visitor to tho two great 
gardens of the equatorial belt, that under present 
review and the one at Buitenzorg to be considered in 
a.Bubs^ qiieut noti'. It is equally impossible to institute 
a coniparifoo between the two. 
In both of these vast establishments, the student 
finds m:ignificent speci'^ens o£ all or very nearly all 
the useful plants belonging to hot moist climates. I\lany 
years ago the writer had the privih'ge of seeing tropical 
plants at the Isthmus of Panama, bat even the de- 
lightful impressions received on that occasion, which 
had perhaps Ijecome deepened with the lapse of time, 
were forgotten in tho presence of tho abounding lux- 
uriance of these palma, bamboos, glossy. leaved ever- 
greens and tangled climbers. 
At Peradeniva Ihe most characteristic plants are 
so plfic.'d as to be seen to good advan tage. This was 
frequently ob.served when in search of points of view 
for photographing individual specimens. Moie- 
over, the system of labelling is about perfect, Dr. 
Trimeu makes use of a large staff formed out of 
baked clay, shaped so as to give an inclined surface 
ou which the name is plainly painted. Tliete brick 
red labels with their painted disk are not unattractivt ; 
:it any rate, they do not detract from the general' 
effect of the broad lawns bordered by gigantic trees. 
The most remarkable single tree in the garden ia 
the Seychelles Palm or double coconut, now almost 
fifty years old. Tho giant and other bamboos, the 
grove of India-rubber trees near the main entrancs, 
and the avenue of Oreodoxa, are only a few examples 
of the finer groups of tingle species. The most im- 
posing group of different species is that of the palms 
not far from the gate. The classified arboretum is 
rich in fine specimens, the principal orders being re- 
presented on a generous scale. 
The nurseries, kitchen-garden, rockery for succu- 
lents, ferneries, aud clusters of economic plants aro 
on a scale commensurate with the arboretum. As 
might be expected, the orchids are by no means so 
fine as the colic c: ions one sees in large private estab- 
lishmriits in England aud on the continent ; it is 
not possible (o command the conditions of growth for 
all the finer species with the same degree of certainty 
as in colder regions where a stove means something. 
At the time of my visit, Ainherstia nobilis aud the 
great crape myrtle wore in full fljwer, and a hirgo 
Talipot palm in hloom was one of the most cuu- 
spicuous objects. 1 was a little too early in Oeyloa 
for some of the tropical fiuita, aud too late for a 
few others, but fortunately was ablo to remedy this 
lacic farther ou i^ Queensland and Juv.t. 
Among the finest of the photographic views of tho 
gardens ja Peradeniya are the foUovYiDg:— (1) the 
