GOVERNMENT NOTIFICATION— No. 344. 
The following letter from the Director of Gardens and Forests is 
published for general information. 
By His Excellency’s Command, 
Colonial Secretary’s Office, 
Sing afore, 6 th June , i88g. 
A. M. SKINNER, 
Acting Colonial Secretary. 
Botanic Gardens, 
Singapore, May 28th, 1889. 
Sir, — 1 have the honour to report that I have received a letter from the firm of 
Thos. Christy & Co., calling attention to the value of certain drugs found ©r procu- 
rable here which are not at present exported hence as they might be. Its terms are: — ■ 
“ You speak of the reputed value of drugs. I would advise you to make the 
“ following standard ; Anything that is a deadly poison is sure to be of great value, and 
“ if you descend from this standpoint you may get other things which are also valuable. 
“ At the present time we are getting over the Antiaris milk (Ipoh); this is the 
“ most deadly poison we know of. 
JU‘i pv 
Euphorbia pilulifera.” — (This is a common garden weed here, known as Kroma 
Susu.) “ This drug has been selling here at 3/6 a tb. We introduced it originally from 
“ Australia, but we have been drawing it largely from India. I want plants when they 
“ are about 14 inches high with fully grown leaves just coming into bud, full of sap. It 
“ wants pulling, the earth knocking off the roots, and then drying in the shade. When 
“quite dry, it wants to be packed in bales, and if it is quite safe on account of being 
“ dry, and the weather is fairly dry, it may be hydraulic-pressed to save freight. We 
“ shall be glad to receive this in 1 or 2 cwt. at a time at the proper season. 
“ Papaya yields a milk in the fruit and stem. We have people who collect this 
“by placing it on glass to dry. It is scraped off the glass when dry, put into bottles, 
“and sent home, where it fetches from 8.r. to iojr. per pound.'’ 
* The subject of native drugs has not here received the attention it merits, and 
many, I feel sure, might be exported hence at a profit, and form good minor products. 
I have, &c., 
HENRY N. RIDLEY, 
Director of Gardens and Forests, S. S. 
To the Hon’ble 
The Colonial Secretary, S. S. 
