L 1898.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
669 
R(3YAL BOTANIC GARDENS, CEYLON : 
REPORT OF MR. J. C. WILLIS, M.A., DIRECTOR. 
{See Stipplemenf with Report.) 
Following the admirable example of his pre- 
decessors, Mr. Willis continues to be first in the 
field of all the Administering Officers of the Govern- 
ment, witli his -Annual Report. Nor is tliis 
because of less trouble or value attaching to the 
compilation ; for, with five separate Garden es- 
tablishments under his care— each of which is 
separately dealt with — the Diiector at Peradeniya 
has as much to look after and embody in his 
Report as some of our minor Government Agents 
who are often well beyond the first quarter of 
the year before they send in their returns. Let us 
hope for greater promptitude all round in the 
present year. 
There is no lack of interest attaching to the 
contents of the Report before us ; but it strikes us 
as less full and novel in the department of most 
value to the general public, that dealing with 
“Economic Plants,” than in previous years. And 
indeed this was inevitable in view of the publi- 
cation of the periodical “Circulars” begun a 
few months ago by the Director and which have 
been welcomed on all sides. In these Circulars, 
Mr. Willis has been giving information for which, 
ordinarily, we should have to wait until we got 
the Annual Report where, of course, it would add 
to its novelty, bulk and importance. For the 
future, therefore, we may consider so far as our 
planting and agricultural world is concerned, the 
Circulars dealing with horticultural, agricultural 
and botanical subjects and issued periodically, as to 
a great extent superseding the Annual Report, 
though the latter may conveniently sum up the 
more important features of the year’s work. It 
is satisfactory to learn that the general condition 
of the Gardens has improved, very much due to 
more liberal votes, though indeed only R3,100 
of an increase and about R2,000 of a 
special vote were required to effect the change 
for the better. The appointment of Mr. E. E. 
Green as Honorary Entomologist is lieartily 
welcomed and he and the Director have been 
busy studying not only the Cacao dis ase, but 
also various diseases of Tea, Coconuts, Betel, 
Nutmegs and other plants, though we are only 
told results in the case of the first named. A 
good deal of attention has been given by Mr. 
Willis to “ Rirbber ” as evidenced by the recent 
special Circular and to “ tapping ” experiments at 
Heneratgoda, of which we are to hear a good 
deal more by-and-bye. The interest in this pro- 
duct has manifestly increased ; 88,500 seeds of the 
Para kind having been sold to planters in 1897 
out of the total crop of 100,000 ; but we scarcely 
think it is correct to say that the Gardens orm, 
practically, tlie only source of seed from mature 
trees ? Mr. Willis anticipates Rhea becoming an 
important cultivation, but only where there is an 
ample, well-distributed rainfall and a plentiful 
supply of manure to renovate the rapidly ex- 
hausted so ; two conditions which, we suspect 
will limit the Rheea area very much— though we 
are told of several planters experimenting on a 
small scale. A stimulus, too, in a small way has 
been given to Vanilla cultivation ; while the 
fall in price has checked attention to Liberian 
Coffee. Mr. Willis takes an interest in the ex- 
pansion of our great Coconut industry ; but by 
far the two most important paragraphs in the 
Director’s Report on the present occasion refer 
to our two upcountry staples. Tea and Cacao. 
In reference to tea, Mr. Willis gives a 
82 
word of w’arning to our planters which 
w’e feel sure, wdll be carefully considered and 
duly acted on, — all the more readily because there 
is no dread enemy ajqjarent at present : — 
The immense area now covered with tea still 
remains singularly free from disease, but great 
care and attention must be exercised if this con- 
dition of things is to last. When an outbreak of any 
disease apparently due to insects or fungi is noticed, 
the affected plants should be at once destroyed 
by fire to prevent, if possible, any further spread 
of the disease. One or two cases have occurred 
during the year of outbreaks of disease among nur- 
series of young plants grown from Indian seed. 
Planters should pay special attention to their nur- 
series in this respect, a; considerable risk is run of 
importing dangerous or troublesome diseases with 
foreign seed. 
In regal d to “cacao,” the Director refers to the 
investigation made by Mr. Green and himself 
and how the disease w'as found to be due to the 
attack of a “ tungus, ’ wdiich of course specially 
concerns a Cryptogamist ; but here again we 
had better give the paragraph verbatim :~ 
Much attention has been given during the year 
to the canker mentioned in last year’s report. During 
the early part of the year an extended investigation 
of the diseased areas was made by the staff of this 
Department, and the disease was found to be com- 
mon in nearly all parts of the Central and Uva 
Provinces. The disease was found to be due to the 
attack of a fungus, whose exact nature is at piesent 
unknown, but which almost certainly belongs to the 
class of fungi which cause the various cankers of 
stems and roots. The' information collected was 
published in two of the circulars issued by 
this Department, in which also suggestions 
were made as to the treatmehit of diseased 
areas or plants and the prevention of further spread. 
It was suggested early in the year that a specialist 
in fungus diseases shorld be engaged by Government 
for the study of this disease. This proposal, being 
adversely reported upon, ultimately fell through. 
There is much misconception as to the capabilities 
of a specialist. His sp-ciality is simply to discover 
the exact nature and life history of the fungus causing 
the disease. Many persons seem to think that once 
this is done he will be able to propose some simple 
wash or other treatment which will at once stamp out 
the disease where it already exists and prevent its re-ap- 
pearance or its appearance in new places. This is 
far from being the case. The treatment of a fungus 
disease must generally be by improved oultivation 
destruction of deceased plants, disinfection of the soil 
and surroundings, and preventive measures generally, 
but to cure plants already disease 1 is usually almost 
impossible. Whatever may be discovered about the 
life history of the fungus, the treatment of the dis- 
ease will be much the same. Had the disease been 
dealt with when it first appeared many years ago it 
would not now be so widespread. There seems now 
but little chance of freeing the aid red varieties from 
it in most districts of the Central and Uva Provinces. 
The Forastero varietiees seem much more capable of 
resisting the disease ; the planting of the^e varieties 
is extending, and it seems likely that they will gra- 
dually replace the old red cacao to a very large 
extent. 
It is strange no allusion is made to the presence 
and work of Mr. Cariuthers ; but until the 
Government extend its countenance and patron- 
age, it may be premature to do so ; and indeed 
Mr. Willis has done the very best service to 
the “ Cryptoganii.st ” by warning planters not 
to think that a “Specialist” can work a miracle 
in providing a remedy, even when he accurately 
works out the life history of a disease. The neces- 
sity of dealing with all plant diseases at the 
earliest possible stage is very clearly shown in 
the present case. Mr. Nock gives interesting 
