46S 
THE TROPICAL At3smt30LTURt8T. 
[January i, 1891, 
beings as well as whole families of wild animals 
might hod lodgement. The mode in which fresh 
bark forms continually on the edges of hollows in 
the trees is most remarkable. The blossom of these 
fine, waterloving trees, with their thick bark, 
rich in lime, is beautiful and sweet-scented. 
I remember well the time, not more than 15 
or 16 years ago, when poor George Smith planted 
EucalypU, Grevilleas, Araucarias and Cupressus 
tomlosa around the then newly-built bungalow of 
Dessford. Last evening I was able to compare, or 
rather to contrast, the gigantic height and the 
corresponding girth of the trees wi'h their size 
when planted. Some of the tall, straight, clean, 
columnar “gums ” are over 100 feet high and stout 
of stem in proportion. Others are magnificently 
umbrageous. The GreviHeas are only second to 
the Eucalypts (one of which seems to be E. 
amaygdalina, the tallest tree in the world) in up 
ward growth. The soil on the comparative flat is 
good, the elevation under 5,000 feet, and the posi- 
tion is largely sheltered, so that all the conditions 
are favourable. Mr. Rosling’s experience of blue 
gum timber (unseasoned) was similar to our own : 
it warped. It ought not, really, to be used for 
buildings, until six months after felling. But we 
were greatly interested in a largo stable door, com- 
posed of fine plants of a Grevillea tree, certainly 
not more than 16 years old (if that), which had 
been cut down and converted into timber. Made 
into the door, when freshly sawn, this valuable 
wood had subsequently seasoned without in the 
least warping. Such being his experience, we were 
not surprised to learn that Mr. Rosling intended to 
out down some of the older Grevilleas which can 
be spared from the large number on Lome, to be 
converted into floor boards. Grevillea rolmsta is 
certainly, for beauty of foliage, for tenacity of 
vitality (it scarcely ever fails in planting), for fair 
rapidity of growth and value of timber at a com- 
paratively early age, one of the most valuable gifts 
which Australia has bestowed on Ceylon. It 
flourishes from sea-level to 6,003 feet, and we do 
not wonder at its great popularity and wide diffu- 
sion. If a casmrina or a frenela is allowed to 
grow somewhat big in the nursery, it almost in- 
fallibly dies when planted out, while the Grevillea 
flourishes equally as a seedling, a well-grown plant, 
or as a“ stump.” Prizing as we do our beautiful 
Norfolk Island pines, with therr whorls of horizon- 
tal branches surmounted by a cross (one of 
them has here attained over 40 feet in 10 years), 
we were sorry to hear from the forest officer, 
that they were dying in several places. By the 
way, my surmise was correct that the planting baskets 
we saw beiag carried from Nanuoya to Nuwara 
Kliya, were intended for the use of the Forest 
Department. 
Of the attempts at afforestation near the Sana- 
torium, Mr. P. 0. MacMahon, in a letter to a 
contemporary of yours, does not speak so favour- 
ably as he does of a large scheme of improvement 
for our Mountain Health Resort, which he thus 
formulates: — 
For tae purpose of taxation an 1 tlie working of rulei 
relating to tliatched bnildiug-i, etc , “ Abram Saibo’s 
bridge ” ia taken as tlio centre of Nuwuva Kliya. All 
properties— including forest land from there to the top of 
the Itambodde Puss, Idlaik Pool b. -id go, .Mrs. Baker’s g ite, 
and the Hew t Kliya buraars— have to p ly assessment, all 
Ihosi- prints b. ing, in a straight line, over two miles 
trsim the brilge. Now, on the North siilo, Gsvernment 
have conveniently for themselves drawn the Local Buird 
houndary immediately below the whole of their forest, 
the mareet psint of wbicli is not more than a } mile 
from thn bnilgo, while fully .500 acres arc within the 
riiiliiis of li miles ; coasnsiuoutly, they get off wilhout 
plying tax, tltjugh o ic of the princip.il public duties oi 
llie town Aratclil and the .Nuwara Klivii police is its 
protection ! What I propose is that (1 ivcrnmcut liauil 
over to the Pswn the whole of the forest from the J 
top of the Rimbodde Pass to Pedru, aud from there 
to the Lover’s Leap falls as their forest reserve and 
future park, and that the Board gradually improve it by 
cutting new roads, plmtiug suitable trees, foreign ferns, 
orchards, &c. In this way Pedru would become, as it 
should be •* pirt and parcel ’’ of the town, and its 
noble stretch of forest saved from the systems of 
“forestry” which one sees along the Nanuoya road, 
and which is much more calculated than the planting 
of the tea bush to diminish the attractions of Nuwan 
Eliya. Tne road, too. to Pedru could be widened and 
kept in proper repair— which cannot be done now by 
the Board as it runs for the greater part of the way 
through Government forest -and seats placed along it 
at the principal points of vista where, the weary climber 
may rest here or his tired limbs and admire the scenery 
round. Lastly, close to the top of Pelru, a Kandyan 
pavil on should be built where ladies could hold picnics 
aud shelter be found from the suu and rain. I do not 
agree with that pirt of the Report which states that 
the attractions of Nuwara Eliya are diminishing. Ten 
years ago the old Resthouse was sufficient to accommo- 
date all the visitors and planters coming to the place ; 
now we have two large Hotels and a Club— all doing fairly 
well: aud. if returns were collected from these, I have 
no doubt that the flow of visitors is increasing 10 per 
cent yearly at least. As regards the block which Govern- 
ment failed to get at their price, I think I may state 
that the “attractions’’ of Nuwara Eliya will lose 
nothiog by their failing to secure it, aud that in the 
march of progress of the place it will keep pace with 
those which they have lately purchased— not a very 
difficult matter, judging by what has been done to and 
around of Government bungalows here for the last ten 
years. 
In propounding his large scheme of rxtending the 
boundaries of the Local Board of Nuwara Eliya so 
as to include the forested slope and cloud-piercing 
summit of the loftiest mountain io Ceylon, tho 
Celtic “ son of-a-bear ” (for such is the translation 
of his patronymic) might have been magnanimous 
enough to have acknowledged that Mr. Armitage’s 
success at the base of Pidurutalagala has been as 
conspicuous as his failures towards Nanuoya have 
been regrettably great. But we can all of us imitate 
Beau Brummel, when speaking of his cravats, in 
saying, “ These are out failures.” Let us hope 
that the dredging operations and water supply works 
at Nuwara Eliya may be unqualified Bueoesses. 
Nov. 26th. 
I wrote yesterday of an atmosphere surcharged 
with moisture and of the north-east wind blowing 
strongly. The re.su'.t was the commencement of a 
rain-storm about 1 o’clock, which continued until 
nightfall. The rain-gauge record is 1’47 inch. 
This morning rises fine, but with masses of cloud 
on the eastern horizon. 
NO SUCH THING AS WATEB POWER — VARIOUS METHODS 
OF UTILIZING WATER — TURBINES — -MOISTURE IN 
THE AIR — DIFFERENCES OF RAINFALL— WELLS —WATER 
SUPPLY — A CHANGE TO FINE WEATHER — THE LOFTIEST 
MOUNTAINS IN CEYLON — MR. NOCK’s EXPERIMENTS 
WITH potatoes— GRUB— REMEDY FOR GREEN BUG. 
Nanuoya, Nov. 25th, 
With reference to possible aid in regard to the 
Nuwara Eliya Water Supply Works, Mr. W. 
Tringham has asked me to return a book he 
was good enough to lend me, and which I have 
read with very great interest. It is a special volume 
of the proceedings of the Institute of Civil 
Engineers, containing papers on the Theory and 
Practice of Hydro-Meohanics, and dealing with 
Physiography, Water Supply, Water Motors, Inland 
Navigation in Europe, Tide and Coast Works, and 
Forms of Ships. What struck me specially was 
the proposition, so startling to the popular mind, 
by the author of the paper on water-motors, that 
there is, strictly speaking, no suoh thing as water- 
power. What we are in the habit of attributing 
to the impact and weight of descending fluid on 
waterwheels is due entirely to gravity 1 However 
startling such a statement msy seem, I suppose 
the Bcientifio principle is beyond doubt. But les 
