3 
for practically there have been only three or four cultivations of any 
importance to European planters in this country, coffee, coconuts 
and rubber, to which we may add nutmegs and cloves, while Ceylon 
linger under cultivation has had plantations of almost every tropical 
economic plant for many years and though many of these have nearly 
died out there are still estates of all kinds of economic plants which 
require protection. As a matter of fact Jamaica and some other 
countries went further even than Ceylon and either would not allow 
any plants at all to be introduced from other countries where diseases 
occurred or had all introduced plants disinfected thoroughly on their 
arrival. 
Dr. Willis uses the word external for legislation dealing with 
plants, I etc., introduced from other countries and internal for legisla- 
tion only affecting the cultivations already in the country. 
External legislation is apt to cause annoyance and hardship 
unless reasonably carried out, but it seems in some countries the 
officials whose business it is to administer the law are quite incapable 
of doing so at all rationally. We hear of a consignment of living 
plants kept uncared for till they are dead, or disinfected so carelessly 
as to completely kill them, plants (even old dried herbarium speci- 
mens) refused admission to the country for fear of introducing 
Phylloxera , though there is not a vine in the country of export nor 
owing to the climate would it be possible for Phylloxera to live there. 
All such legislation should be not only framed by scientific men but 
carried out if possible by them or if not, by thoroughly-trained and 
intelligent officers. It is essential that new plants of economic use 
should be introduced into different countries and equally imported to 
avoid in-breeding, at the same time as much care as possible should 
be taken not to bring in diseased plants. The question of the intro- 
duction of plants which, by reason of their taking thoroughly to the 
country, may become a nuisance is one of the most difficult subjects 
to decide. A plant which in one country grows to such an extent as 
to be injurious to the agriculturist may in apparently similar condi- 
tions in another country hardly grow at all or at least prove quite 
harmless. The Mexican poppy Argemone Mexicana has proved in 
many countries a pestilential weed, and it was with some care I 
watched its growth when we introduced it as an ornamental plant. It 
grew, fruited well, and occasionally reappeared again in a feeble way 
after the death of the original plant, but showed no signs of becoming 
3 nuisance at all. The water hyacinth Eichornia crassipes which has 
been so injurious in blocking waterways in Florida and Australia 
grows well here, and has been cultivated by the Chinese first for its 
flowers and later for pig food. It does not appear to be at all aggres- 
sive and exposure to full sun causes it to be weak and die. It does 
not seem to be at all establishing itself as a river pest. Like 
Limnocharis Plumierii introduced many years ago from America and 
now spread over the whole Peninsula as far north at least as Perlis, 
Eichornia might choke up ditches or abandoned ricefields, but if it did 
