768. The agriculture and gardening of the native Singalese may be considered as one art; the objects of culture being edible roots, as the yam; grains, as the rice; and spices, as pepper. (See Dr. Davy's Account, &c.) All the productions of Hindostan are said to thrive in Ceylon. General Macdowal, with the assistance of Dr. Roxburgh of Calcutta, made a valuable collection of exotics, which he left at Columbo in 1804. He introduced peaches, grafted and trained on espaliers, which bore at three years old. Apples and asparagus succeed well in this climate; and many other European fruits and vegetables attain a tolerable degree of perfection, when shaded by mats during the day, and well watered during nights.
