Description

Ridley travelled from England through Milan, Florence, Bologna and Ceylon [Sri Lanka]. He describes the Peradeniya gardens as 'the finest he has seen', mentioning such plants as 'Podostemad', Zenkeria and Balanophora thwaitesii. There are few orchids there, apart from Scitamineae: it is too hot for subalpine species such as Dendrobia [Dendrobium] of Burmah [Burma] and orchids from the Nilgerry [Nilgiri], Himalayan, Ecuadorian and Brazilian mountains. He is impressed with [Henry] Trimen and [William de] Alwis. Ridley also visited the Hakgalla [Hakgala] Garden and found Heveas and Myristica horsfieldii near Colombo. On 'H.E.' Cecil C. Smith's invitation, he stayed a week in Penang, but [Charles] Curtis was in Calcutta [Kolkata]. Ridley noted peach, apples, olives, and Cyphomandra in the garden; the forests have Thysanolaena acarifera and Leptaspis urceolata, but less pine than in Brazil. In Province Wellesley he saw the experimental garden, rice fields, mangrove swamps, and Raffia used for thatching. The Botanical Gardens, Singapore have changed hands from Cantley to Derry to Fox since Dec 1887. Ridley is faced with a neglected herbarium, thieves, silica soil, and the 'abominable elephant beetle' he told Mr Fawcett about. He notes the contents of the limited library and requests a number of the KEW BULLETIN. He describes the Committee, including Justice [John Tankerville] Goldney, nephew of Dr Pryor, and the Colonial Secretary. He discusses a controversy concerning playing music in the garden on Sundays. Lalang grass and mangrove swamps dominate the forests, but he wishes to plant Croton tiglium, Cassia florida and Adinandra dumosa. Teak and mahogany do not grow, Cocoa and vanilla do, Phalaenopsis, Vandas, Aerides and Grammatophyllum thrive. Nepenthes and Cyrtosperma lasioides are fairly common, as is Dracaena cantleyi. The expedition with 'Davison of the Museum' to the Tahang district is postponed. H.E. has been to Dinding [Manjung] and Perak, and brought back Vanda hookeri and Arundina bambusifolia from Kinta. Ridley encloses a list of desiderata [not attached]. A postscript states that the Cola acuminata are doing well. He requests plant material to differentiate between Cubeb and 'P. caninum'. He notes that Carapa moluccensis bark is used to treat dysentery. Page 1 of 6.