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INDIA

From the central mass of hills numerous offshoots are
detached towards the coast from south-east to south-west.
Nuwara Elia is above the 6000 feet level, and is the
counterpart in Ceylon of Ootacamund in the Nilgiris.
The surrounding of blue mountains, of stretches of green
upland, the patches of uncleared forest filled with quaint
and fantastic trees (amongst which the «“Keena,” a curious
imitation of the stone pine, is prominent), the Australian
importations (gum trees and wattle), the cloudy, humid
atmosphere—even the flowers, arum lilies, heliotrope, and
geraniums, which seem specially suited to the climate of
Nuwara Elia, recall vivid impressions of ¢« Ooty.” Round
about Nuwara Elia, are tea plantations which are carried
over the hill slopes to a height of nearly 7000 feet. A
recent and most admirable law has been passed by the
Ceylon Government that the higher slopes of the mountains
 are in future to be reserved for forest growth, the
absence of which after extensive clearings had been
affected having a most appreciable effect on the rainfall.
[n amongst the lines of tea plants cinchona is still grown.
[t serves as a much-needed shade tree to the tea, but the
over-production of cinchona in the island has led to this
‘ndustry being partially abandoned. Tea has almost
entirely superseded coffee since the year 1870, when the
coffee plantations were destroyed and many wealthy
fandowners ruined by the appearance of a new fungus
‘Hemilia vastatrix), which choked the pores of the leaves
and destroyed the plant,
On the lower slopes of the hill districts cocoa plantaions
 are now increasing. Nothing can exceed the beauty
of some of these plantations set amidst the most lovely
scenery in the island, and interspersed with a magnificent
growth of shade trees—much needed for the cocoa plant.
Cinnamon and cocoa-nut palms are indigenous, and the
latter form the chief wealth of the Singhalese, who utilise
every part of the tree for domestic purposes. But every
species of spice is cultivated, as well as rice, sugar,
tobacco, indigo, and a certain amount of cotton. A vast
variety of timber is found in the forests, and is largely