December i, 1891.] 
THE TROHCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
387 
T HE KOVAL, BOTANICAL GAKDEXS, I’ERA- 
BKNIYA, AS AN EDUCATIONAL 
INSTITUTION. 
In noticing tha Hums appropriated in the 
estimates o( 1U'J2 to the support of the beautifal 
Gardens at I’oradenij^a, of which Ooylon is so 
justly proud, we expressed regret that the extensive 
library, the herbarium and the museum of timber 
and other specimens should bo separated by so 
considerable a distance from the chief city of the 
island, with its colleges and schools, This regret 
was felt in view of the obstacles which the 
distance and the expenditure of time and money 
in travelling placed in the way of students 
desirous oi availing themselves of the important 
and interesting aids to education connected with 
the Gardens, in addition to the education of the 
physical as well as the mental powers involved 
in wandering through the beautiful grounds and 
identifying, by means of the inscribed tablets, 
the numerous and varied plants indigenous to 
Ceylon, or introduced from so many countries and 
climes, — tropical, sub-tropical and even .temperate. 
\Vc ju'lged, and as it turns out rightly, that 
the Government and garden authorities were not 
only willing but anxious that all respec table persons, 
whoso objects were bona Jitle, should, on expressing 
their desire, have access to the books, the coloured 
drawings and the specimens of plants, timbers 
and other objects connected with or illustrative 
of the soienoc ol botany, ooliecled at Peradeniya. 
Natives of the island and especially the class of 
European descendants who have advanced and are 
advancing so rapidly in recent years by means 
of the educational advantages placed within their 
reach by the liberality ol Government,— and let 
us add the zeal of the various Christian bodies 
in our midst,— are, naturally, sensitive to the re- 
ception they meet with at the hands of Europeans 
and especially European officials. This sensitive- 
ness sometimes leads to misconstruction as to 
bearing and language and to olTonce being taken 
where none was meant, Offielals pra-occupied 
with work which it is their first duty to carry 
through may seem brusque, when they are merely 
anxious to economize valuable time. These re- 
marks apply to a communioation which has 
reached us from a very estimable and learned 
Ceylonese, who is engaged in educational work in 
connection with a high-class institution. We 
submitted his letter to Dr. Trimen, and, at that 
gentleman's instance, we publish it with the 
Director’s reply addressed to ourselves. The 
incident is not to bo regretted, seeing that 
it has drawn forth so explicit and satis- 
factory a statement corroborative of our pre- 
viously expressed opinion, that the Director ol 
the Peradeniya Gardens is not only willing but 
anxious to aid those desirous ol availing them- 
selves of the advantages to them as students, or (we 
doubt not) as persons desirous of adding to their stock 
of general information, —of the soiontifio literature 
and Museum collections collected in the Boyal 
Botanical Gardens. Our correspondent wrote : — 
‘‘I was delighted to read your louder of the 2l8t 
when speaking of the Supply Bill for von refer- 
red to the Botanic Garden at Peradeniya. Vou say ‘ a 
great means of edueatien for the young and of infor* 
matiou for slodonts of more mature ago is largely res- 
tricted in its usefulness” — owing to the distance of Pers- 
deniya from Colombo. Now, sir, I have a real hardship 
to put before you. I have long been fnll of botauioal 
enthusiasm though not a ptofossod botanist, and derive 
a great deal of pleasure fromj turning over botaniosl 
journals and magszlucs. Now at Petadoniya there are 
of course these bojks. There is besides the vast and 
most interesting HortM Ualubancw, Well cn going 
to the Museum and stating that I wished to see the 
library the Dircotor left mo andor the impression that 
1 was simply tnlerated not welcomed there, and 
I turned over the pages (if I even had the 
courage aud audacity <0 do such a daring thing) with 
tbe fesr that I was making myself a nuisance 
to tbe learued Direotor. He teemed to tbiuk that 
there oould be nothing in tho library to interest the 
general reader, aud that the oollobtion of timbers 
would be all that 1 could possibly enjoy ! He little 
knew that it was all the other' rtay. Your acquaintanoo 
with the Director would perhaps lead you to quite 
auothcr conclusion, and I hesitate therefore to eeud 
a communioation direot for pnblioation. All I wish 
therefore ie to have it establiehed that not only tho 
beautiful garden is made free of all who go there, 
but that tboia who wish to oonsult the journals aud 
books should bo allowed free liberty to do so without 
feeling that they are in anybody’s v> ay and thst their 
presonoo is mote an imperlinenco than anything else, 
t do not for ono einglo moment aik that the 
Dhoctor should be obliged to turn away from 
bis duties to administer a botanical lecture, though 
should bo ouly be witling to do it he would bo 
oonforring an immense benefit on tbe rising gene- 
ration, It is not often that ho will, have the oppor- 
tunity of thus enpplemonting the labours of the 
botanical teachers in our colleges and schools. Let 
the museum bo more than a colleotion of objeots. 
Let it bo a rich eouroa of pleasure and iustrnotioo. 
I believe it was tbe fact that the Lady Principal of 
tho Kandy Wusleyau Girls' Sohool took her pupile 
to the Gardens and made the subjeot of Botany so 
real that secured such good results at the last Cam- 
bridge Local. 
** The Director's office and working room adjoins the 
Museum Library. (Ho has another room with his 
own private oolleotion of botanical books to whioh 
of course tho public have no right.) The floor too 
is (I believe) hoard ed-, and no doubt if a teaehor, say, 
with bis pupils goes to tbe Museum and introduces 
the treasures in tho Library to her pupils, giving 
them n low hints bore aud there, he would feel that 
to a oertaiu extent he would be distracting the 
learned Diroelor in the next room. Can not some 
srraiigemeut be made vvhereliy thie difficulty may be 
obviated ? Is it necessary that the library should bo 
separated from tho working room of the Director by 
only a wooden partition ? 
‘■I beg oil behalf of all lovers of nature aud of 
the beautiful that you will give tho subject a thought, 
and without auy charge being made against the present 
learned Director of discourtesy that you will plead 
that every facility be given to people to make tbeir 
rasoarobes iu the records of the Mnsoum Library, aud 
even, under proper sajeyvards, to have tho opportunity 
of Growing for a day or two any book from which 
they may like to make extracts. (Perhaps this latter 
may not be practicable.] 
“ Eioeptieg the Museum at Peradeniya thera is 
no otber place in the colony where botanioal journala 
could be perueed, and should tho alightest (however 
uniutentional) obstacle be put in tho way of porsous 
craving for botanical knowledge what a great bard, 
ship it must be !” 
Dr, Trimen'a frank and Batisfaotory response is 
as follows : — 
“ I am much indebted to you for forwarding to me 
your corruspoudeut’s letter, and mast say at onco 
that I feel greatly pained that he should have re- 
oeivsd sucli an impiessiou as he describes from bin 
visit to Peradeniya. I hope and believe he stands 
aluDO iu this, and am quite at a loss to understand 
how it came about. It must be surely unnecessary 
tor me ti say that everyone wishing to study at 
Peradeniya is uot only free to do so, but very welcome 
and uot tho least “ in tbe way.” 
‘'Unfortunately 1 cannot clearly reaal Mr. — ——’a 
visit. I suppose I must have been prossod with the .v 
work when he came ; but even in thst ease, I am certain 
that whatever ho wished to see would baye been freely 
plaoed at his disposal. He could not have made his 
wants plain to me. 
