358 THF TROPICAL AQRiCULTURlSt, [November r, 1890. 
elevations below Nuwara Eliya, is more a timber 
than a firewood tree, and so, perhaps, is Acacia 
melanoxylon, respecting which observation during 
yesterday’s visit has puzzled us. The old typical, 
dark-foliaged pyramidal trees have never, to our 
knowledge, fiowered or seeded. But yesterday we 
saw a tree at the Post Office, with melanoxylon 
foliage but ot umbrageous habit in full flower. Not 
only° so, but quite young trees which looked 
like A. melanoxylon had flowers 011 them, and 
we were told tuat a gentleman in Maturata 
was selling seeds of A. melanoxylon. We want 
■'more light” about these curious acacias. We 
have measured the girth of one of the grand 
blue gums at the Grand Hotel, and found it to be, 
at foot above the ground, 9 feet 6 inches. Its 
height we did not ascertain, but it probably 
ranged above 100 feet. There are other fine gums in 
Nuwara Eliya. The sunny weath r had brought 
out the north east monsoon butterflies as well as 
the flowers, and every feature of the Pidurutala- 
gala ranges, as well as the Ihree peaks of the 
grand isolated mass of Hakgala, was revealed^ in 
the clear sunhght, in which mountains, plains, 
lake and river were bathed. The balsams, osbeckias 
(purple and pink). St. John’s wort, pink orchids 
and the white flowers recently noticed, with many 
others, were in beautiful bloom. The Forest de- 
partment have planted part of the vacant space 
below Nuwara Eliya with oryptomerias, frenela», 
&o. When all is planted and grown, a new attrac- 
tion will be added to the grand drive from_ the 
Nunuoya terminus to the mountain sanatorium. 
But “ tappal time ” warns mo to stop. 
Naku'ya, Oct. 8th. 
When writing this morning about one cl our 
most beautiful wild flowers, the pure white of which 
contrasts so strikingly with the bright red of 
adjacent osbeckias, I forgot to mention what I 
heard with interest from Nuwara Eliya. A lady 
resident there, distinguished for literary talent and 
good taste, has commenced the aggregation of all 
our wild flowers in a garden specially devoted to 
the purpose It may convey to some a new idea 
of the wealth of our upland regions— especially our 
grassy prairies — in indigenous flowers, when I add 
that already the collection has reached 150 different 
specimens. Mr. Nock is giving his valuable and 
cordial aid to the design, and he will, of course, 
see that foreign plants long naturalized and re- 
cent escapes from gardens and estates are either 
not included or distinguished by being planted 
separately or otherwise indicated. When onecnters 
on the investigation, it is startling to find how 
few plants — economic products especially — are 
native to India and Ceylon : how much both 
owe to other countries, especially to the western 
world. We suppose the plantain is indigenous, 
and BO, perhaps, is the coconut palm,* but is it 
patent to the bulk of your readers that the pine- 
apple and some varieties, at least, of the custard- 
apple came to us from America, with the tobacco 
plant and the red peppers we call chillies, as well 
as the sensitive plant, passion-flowers, &e\ The 
orange, Bonavia seems to think, came from the 
Eastern Archipelago and China, although it ap- 
pears to have existed in Mesopotamia in far back 
antiquity. 
■niK AOIU-HOnTICULTURAL SHOW IN NUWAKA ELIVA, 
And this mention of plants and flowers reminds 
* Tlie ongirial hume of ttie cocouut palm is supposed 
to be in the Eastern Archipalago — the nuts floating to 
the Matara coast of Ceylon? [and so eventunlly giving 
rifle to the tradition of the Kusta Kajiih?] Cinnamon 
hi*k perhaps a greater claim to be considered indigenous 
tha» our leading palm ?— Ei>. 7'. ./i. 
me of a circular which has been issued by the 
Assistant Government Agent cf Nuwara Eliya 
summoning a meeting at 3 p. m on Monday next 
to consider a proposal which has been made for 
an Agri-Horticultural and General Show at the 
Sanatorium at the Easter season, similar to the one 
held in 1888. If there is fair evidence available 
that such a Show is likely to be well sup) orted, 
especially by native exhibitors, whose interests it 
is desired above all others to further by sneh 
exhibitions, I suppose the decision will be in the 
affirmative. On such occasions the various classes 
of our population are brought together to exchange 
amenities as well as to compare notes, and the 
results cannot but be beneficial. I hope it may 
be possible to conjoin with the Show a Bazaar 
in favour of the funds of the Tamil Cooly Mission. 
No doubt our new ruler will patronize the shew 
if held, giving it dolat by the presence of himself 
and family. [The resolution to hold a Show has 
since been announced. — Ed. T. A."] 
October 9th. 
The temperature yesterday morning, with a 
mist-laden breeze from the south-west which tasted 
of the north-east, was lower than we have had 
it since the 25th of last month. But as the day 
advanced there was a clearing up, and the day 
continued fine with short showers occasionally. But 
it rained copiously during the night, and we have 
rain and some wind this morning, though not 
accompanied by the cold of yesterday morning. 
Those who have planting to do will rejoice in the 
rain, which is, after all, seasonable, as a prelude 
of the more copious d- posits which the now near 
at hand north-east mensoon will bring. The 
weather will, however, if it continues wet, hinder 
progress on the railway ; and this remind me that 
the process of laying down the permanent way 
on the lower portion of the Hue may be somewhat 
delayed until the short-length rails, required for 
the numerous curves, are separated from those of 
standard size for the straight portions. To persons 
who do not recognize the necessity of ” super- 
elevation,” in the rounding of curves by trains, the 
difference of level between the two ends of small 
culverts across the surface of the line on curves 
seems very strange. — The rainfall for the 24 hours 
has been 1'30 inch. 
EXTRACT OF EUCALYPTUS LEAVES FOE SCALE 
IN BOILERS — FINE WEATHER AGAIN. 
Nanuoya, Oct. 11th. 
While discussing trees which are beyond question 
not indigenous in Ceylon, although they have made 
themselves quite at home in our hill and moun- 
tain regions, it is interesting generally, and ought 
(0 be espeeially so to the officers of our railway de- 
partment, the owners of engineering works and all 
who use steam boilers, that in India a liquor from 
tbe leaves of the Australian Eucalyyts has been 
found very useful in removing scale. Any quantity 
of the leaves can be had in most of the plant- 
ing districts of Ceylon for the asking. In a 
report on the Lucknow Horticultural Garden, it is 
stated that r 
With regard to the use of the extract obtained I 
from eucalyptuH leaves for cleaning locomotive boilers, ( 
Mr. A. E. Eylea, the Locomotive and Carriage Superin- , 
trudent of tha Bengal and North-Western Railway, ] 
after a year’s trial, pronounces it to be a ready first- 
rate disincrustator. He obtains 1,000 gallons of strong 
fluid from a maund of leaves, and finds that from 8 | 
to 12 gallons of it enabb-s a locomotive to run 1,000 i 
miles without it bein’ necessary to wash the boiler out. 
To I xp -rimenters it may be useful to know that when , 
first used on a dirty boiler, tbe incrustation does not . 
