4 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[JutY I, i8qo. 
mpnt for the sale of plants, seeds, &c., since he has 
token charpe of it, he will be able to forward to 
the Government Treasury nearly £40. 
The cost of the Establishment during the first 
year of each Superintendent’s charge that has been 
there is as annexed : — 
Year. 
£ 
Mr. Moon 
1817 
1750 
„ Walker 
1825 
1639 
„ McRae 
18-6 
1563 
„ Bid 
1830 
1498* 
,, Watson 
1832 
1563* 
,, Lear 
1839 
720 
His Excellency the Et. Hon’ble the Goveenoe, 
Sir, — I have the honor to return the queries 
which Your Excellency was pleased to put to me, 
answered as near and correct as I possibly can, 
and Your Excellency’s other directions shall have 
my best attention. 
I have the honor to be. Sir, Your Excellency’s 
most obedient and grateful Servant, 
J. G. Leae. 
Boyal Botanic Gardens, Sept. 18th, 1839. 
Memo. FOE Mr. Leae. 
Kandy, September 18th, 1839, 
Question. — What is your present salary from 
this Government ? 
Anstver. — £150 per annum. 
Q. — Are fths of the ground of the Botanic Garden, 
which was under jungle when you became Super- 
intendent, cleared of the jungle and made fit for 
botanical purposes? 
A — No — half, with much alteration and improve- 
ment of that previously kept up by my predecessor 
Q — Can you, and within what period clear what 
remains of the jung’e, on the ground, whereon Mr. 
Moon had planted rare or Ceylon plants with your 
present force? 
.4.— No, not at all, without neglecting that which 
I have already cleared. 
Q. — If you can’t, what additional force will you 
require, and what would be the additional monthly 
cost of labour, and in what time with this additional 
force can you clear it? 
A. — 30 men, £22 10s, 3 months. 
Q. — About how many acres (at a guess), and 
about what portion do they form of the whole 
garden, has Mr. Wright in lease? 
A. — 65 by the survey, one-half. 
Q. — What is the endurance of his lease, its 
commencement and termination? 
A. — 6 years, February 1836, 31st December 1845. 
Q. — Can you give me a memo, of your monthly 
establishment and its costs? 
A. — Yes, herewith enclosed. 
Mr. Lear will please to mark whatever Chinese 
plants, vines and other plants from London belong 
to H. E. by a small bit of wood or lead with 
“Governor’’ cleared marked on each. 
The vegetable and other seed beds can at any 
time be known that have been sown with seed. 
His Excellency the Ft. Hon’ble the Goveenoe, 
Sir — I have the honor to forward herewith the 
seeds as lequesteii by Your Excellency’s letter of 
(he 1st instant, and hope they will prove satisfactory, 
'('hose seeds which I had the honor to notice to 
Voiir Flxcellency in Colombo as having been received 
fioiJi Mr. Knight are, of vegetables, a collection 
limited in quantity to that which would be neces- 
* Home coffee returned to Government during these 
years, the amount of which is pot ascertained. 
sa y to prove by experiment what are best adapted 
tor this climate, and for that purpose assugtested 
by me, Mr. Knight has had the collection made up 
ver y select, numerous, and in small quantities, and 
I think we could not have received them at a 
better season or in more excellent order. The fruits, 
palms and ornamental shrubs and trees are from 
Mr. Kn ght’s ccllect 'r in South America, and of that 
superior character which will justify my saying that 
it would be dififieult hereafter to procure a similar 
or as good a collection, and certainly nowhere on 
this Island could they be expected to have that 
necessary attention which they would receive at 
the Botanic Garden I hope therefore that Your 
Excellency will be pleased to allow me to bring 
them to account for this establishment, and not 
distribute them at present through the Is' and as 
was suggested by Your Excellency previoufly. 
In the humble and sincere hope that this may 
meet with Your Excellency's pleasure, 
I have the honor to be. Sir, Your Excellercj’.s 
most obedient humble Servant, 
J. G. Lear. 
Eoyal Botanic Garden, 3rd November 1834. 
His Excellency the Bt. Hon’ble the Governor* 
Sir, — I have the honor to inform Your Ex- 
cellency of my arrival at Newera Ellia, where I 
reached on the 4th instant. I saw Captain Kelson 
on the 5th. who has pointed out to me the land 
Your Excellency fixed upon for experimental pur- 
poses ; he has also handed me a survey of the same. 
I have examined it well, and for the use to which 
Your Excellency intends to apply it 1 know of no 
situation where the choice could be improved. The 
soil of the plain is perhaps not strictly speaking 
that which general report gives the tea to delight 
on, neither does it exactly correspond with that 
recommended for (he growth of tea in the popular 
works of the day, but soil apart (which by draining 
and otherwise can be greatly improved), every other 
circumstance seems particularly favourable to the 
production of that article, and eventually I should 
doubt not of success. Captain Kelson has sent me 
8 coolies this morning, and I have commenced 
clearing on the S. E. side of the forest, jungle 
where I understood Your Excellency [by description) 
as the place where Your Excellency wished me to 
form the nursery for tea. I very highly approve 
of the spot, and hope soon to have it in readiness, 
but with respect to the quantity necessary, I should 
(most humbly) suggest 2 acres as quite sufficient 
at present for that purpose, and as land is apt to 
deteriorate by exposure, it is the more desirable that 
no more be cleared than is actually necessary. 
Should Your Excellency approve of my plan, I shall 
confine myself to the abovementioned quantity, and 
when the work necessary upon that is completed, 
I shall immediately proceed to Badulla as previously 
directed by Your Excellency. I expect the above 
work will occupy my time up to the 17th instant, 
and if Your Excellency has any further commands 
(independent of my duty) it will afford me the 
most agreeable pleasure to attend the execution 
of them. 
I have the honor to be Sir, Your Excellency’s 
very grateful and most obedient bumble Servant, 
J, G. Leae. 
Newera Ellia, 6th November. 1839. 
Newera Ellia, 23rd Nov. 1839. 
His Excellency the Et. Hon’ble (he Governor, 
Sir, — I h.ive the honor to acknowledge the rt oeipt 
of Your Excellency’s letter of the 14th instant, and 
according to its tenor, I beg to hand Your Ex- 
cellency the result of my investigation of the land 
referred to, 
