840 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  i,  i8y6. 
THE  CEYLO><  ROYAL  ROTANIO  GARDENS. 
A boineMliat  mtlancliolv  inleief^t  atlaclies  to 
tile  veport  on  the  Royal  IJotaiiii!  Gardens  for 
ISho,  it  being  the  last  one  to  whiili  Dr.  Trimen’s 
name  will  be  a[ipciulo<l  - for,  as  our  reader, s are 
aware,  and  as  a note  to  this  leport  slate.s,  he 
will  retire  Irom  the  post  of  Director,  which  he 
has  so  well  lilled  for  tlie  past  si.\teen  years,  at  I he 
end  of  ne.xt  moi  Ih.  I'or  the  greater  jiart  of 
ISDo  Dr.  Trinien  was  ah.sont  on  leave  in  Eng- 
land ; hub,  as  he  tcstiiies,  the  work  of  the  whole 
department  was  eliiciently  carried  on  by  his 
lieutenant  .Mr.  Nock,  in  addition  to  his  own 
duties  at  llakgala.  Mr.  Clark,  the  heail  gar- 
dener, having  resigned,  in  order  to  enter  on  a 
planting  life,  his  place  was  lilled  by  the  ai»point- 
ment  of  Mr.  11.  E.  Macmillan'  frmii  Kew. 
Surely  the  services  of  Mr.  R.  11.  I’ereira  might 
have  l.ieeii  preserved  to  the  department  by  an 
increase  of  salary ; but  such  are  the  ways  of 
redtape  ! it  will  be  noticed  that  the  urawbacks 
to  be  contended  with  at  the  Reradeniya  Gardens 
are,  according  to  the  Director,  “ bad  soil  ami 
want  ol  manure.”  The  former  is  an  inherent 
evil,  which  can  only  be  or  crcomc  by  a free  use 
ol  manure  : and  tliis,  of  course,  means  consider- 
able expense.  Various  improvements  to  the 
Gardens  are  mentioned  ; ami  we  liojie  that  the 
childisli  and  Milgar  lialjit  of  scribbling  on  the 
Gardner  cenotaph  will  be  [lut  a slop  to  by  every 
dossible  means.  The  extracts  given  from  M)'. 
Nock’s  rejioi't  on  the  llakgala  Cardens  are  ol 
much  interest ; and  we  would  draw  special  at- 
tention to  what  he  and  Dr.  d’rimcn  say  with 
respect  to  the  great  injury  and  loss  to  the  de- 
partment resultant  to  tiie  jiernicious  iiractico  of 
growing  plants  for  sale  to  the  public.  Govern- 
ment has  no  right  to  compete  with  private 
nurserymen  in  this  matter.  Tlie  enormous  spread 
of  the  oxalis  weed  is  a serious  ali'air ; and  we 
hope  that  some  means  will  be  found  lor  eradi 
eating  it  cheaidy.  Ollier  enemies  mentioncil 
are  monkeys,  sambhur  deer,  cle[)hants,  and 
visitor.s  ! As  these  last  are  supposed  to  be 
animals  with  a conscience  if  not  honesty,  their 
depiedations  are  the  least  excusable  of  all. 
The  iieriaratgoda  Garden  is  energetically  and 
intelligently  .su[iervised  ; and  we  aie  glad  to  note 
the  large  increase  in  the  number  ol  lisitors. 
This  might,  liowever,  be  still  further  augmented 
if  greater  facilities  for  visiting  these  guldens 
were  oH'ered  by  the  Railway  Department  to 
strangers.  The  lieadman  who  tried  to  make  a 
public  road  tlirough  the  garden  deserved  stip- 
jiression  as  much  as  his  cheeky  attempt. 
The  report  on  the  Anuradhapura  Garden  is 
calculated  to  make  our  (.lovernment  blush 
with  shame,  if  they  are  capable  ^ of  such 
a feeling.  Me  hope  Dr.  irimeiis  indig- 
nant words  will  not  be  lost  on  them,  ’the 
Radulla  garden  also  scems^  to  be  studiously 
neglected  ' by  (Jovernmeiit.  The  notes  on  eco- 
nomic plants  are,  as  usual,  interesting  and  valu- 
able ; and  we  would  call  the  special  attention  of 
our  j)lanting  readers  to  thcni, — in  [larticular  to 
what  is  said  about  coca.  M'e  have  thus  brielly 
referred  to  some  of  the  salient  points  in  this 
interesting  report  ; but  w'o  rocommeml  to  oui 
readers  the  careful  perusal  of  the  extracts  which 
we  give  as  a Supplement. 
A Kk.'iajikahle  Coirim  Tnim. — It  is  stated  by  the 
Jlio  A'ea-ii  that  iu  the  vicinity  of  Rrc  Joes  there  is  a 
twenty -year  old  colfeo  tiee  which,  accorcii.g  to  the 
J.az,  of  Aieias,  produced  last  year  sixty  poriids  of 
ceffec.  'Ilie  ticc  is  so  tall  that  in  gaihcring  Do 
ft;  ii  a ladder  1ms  to  be  used. 
THE  DiMRUl.A  VALLEY  CEYLUxN  TEA 
COMPANY,  LLMITEif. 
M’e  bear  that  Uie  sale  of  Elgin  and  Kellie- 
hill  to  this  Oompy.ny  is  to  be  put  through 
at  the  prices  Ihey  were  sold  foi',  and  this,  we 
take  it,  indicates  tliat  Sir  .John  Muir  has 
withdiawn  liis  objections  to  the  sale  ; and  it  we 
are  right  in  our  suind>e  we  would  congratulate 
all  paitics  on  a settlement  of  what  looked  like 
a huge  law  suit 
THE  KUSHEXA  COCONUT  ESTATE 
CD.,  LTD. 
Tlie  annual  general  meeting  of  the  aho\e 
Com). any,  calieil  for  21111  instant,  hut  postiioiied 
owing  to  the  non-atleiidance  of  a quorum  has 
since  been  iield.  The  following  is  the  Director‘s’ 
report : — 
Iu  presenting  the  accounts  for  the  first  year,  the 
Directors  have  only  to  state  that  the  jiropcrty  is 
rapidly  increasing  in  value,  it  being  carefully  culti- 
vated, and  that  when  the  Vendor’s  guarantee  of  per 
cent  dividend  conies  10  an  end  (wnich  it  will  iu  tlie 
course  of  another  year)  tlie  Estate,  it  is  bel  eved, 
will  be  producing  suliicient  nuts  to  earn  a handsome 
dividend 
The  Vendor’s  guarantcu  of  5 per  cent  on  ihe  paid  up 
shares  will  be  paid  on  15tli  May  . 
It  wdll  be  necessary  to  i.ppoiii  an  Auditor  for  IbDtl. 
Ry  order  of  the  Roatd  01  Directors, 
C.  E.  H.  SvMONs,  Secretary, 
'J'he  re])orl  wms  adopted,  and  Mr.  John  Gutlirie 
was  appointed  Amlitor  for  ilie  current  year. 
THE  RATIAGAMA  PLANTATION  COM- 
PANY, J/LD. 
The  following  is  tlie  re[mrt  of  tlie  above  Com- 
pany" intended  to  liave  been  pre.sonted  at  a 
meeting  011  Saturday  wliicli  however  was  post- 
jimieil  owing  to  the  non-attend  aiico  of  a (juoiuni ; — 
Tlio  Directors  herewith  beg  to  submit  llicir  four- 
teeinh  Aiiiiuai  llcporl. 
'I'he  c.'timate  of  tea  for  the  past  year  was  .55,000 
lbs.:  but  tlie  actual  croj)  has  fallen  somewhat  short 
of  ibis  ijiiautity,  being  only  5:i,(ili5  lbs.,  which  was 
sold  iu  Colombo  at  nu  average  rate  of  iO!)  cents 
per  )b. 
On  a reference  to  the  annexed  account,  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  actual  woiking  ot  the  year  shows  a 
small  niargiii  of  Pi2,25ii'-Jti.  The  Directors  recom- 
mend that  the  balance  now  at  credit  of  profit  and 
loss  account  should  be  appropriated  in  reauction  of 
Suspense  Account,  which  repre.-.eius  the  loss  incurred 
iu  working  the  estate  previous  to  18DU  whilst  the 
tea  was  coming  into  bearing;  and  they  trust  the 
shareholders  will  approve  of  tins  recommendation. 
The  shareholders  have  to  appoint  a Director  in 
place  of  Mr.  Stanley  Rois,  w'hose^  terra  of  office  has 
expired ; and  it  will  also  be  necessary  to  appoint 
an  auditor  for  ISlHl. 
DRUG  REPORT. 
(Prom  IJJiiiiniiil  uihI  ] )ruiiiiis( .) 
I.omlon.  .\]ji-il  10. 
( i.M'llox.l.— 'J'he  numtlily  auctions  held  in  London.  (.11 
J'liesday,  were  .somenhat  remarkable  for  the  fart  Uiat 
Coyloii  bark  was  entirely  wauling.  This  shows,  iierimp.s 
better  than  anything,  the  degree  to  whieli  the  i'iaiid  is 
no\y  idayed  out  as  a barl:-])roducin,g  countiy. 
K.s.s]'.vri.\L  (>11,.— ('ilroiiella  oli'evs  Ls  7d  per  lb.  on  lie* 
spot,  which  is  easier, 
.'SKiiuS  (various).— l-i\e  bag.s  fair  areea  sold  al  Ids 
cd  ner  ewt,  I'or  fair  Spanish  anise  SUs  iier  cwt.  was 
jiaid  ordinary  Kns.siaii  sold  al  JVs  ud  to  Jhs  per  cwt 
Annatto  in  l.irge  supply.  Tor  good  bright  \V.  Indian 
4d  per  lb.  was  refused.  Fair  to  ordimuy  dull  Ceylon 
ri-aliscd  from  Cd  down  to  i\d  mn-  lb.  Crofon-secd  is 
.ag.iiu  iloari'i' ; lO  bags  dark  mixed  Ceylon  rcali.'-ed  (t.-,s 
I ler  ct' t , (- j 
