May I, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



839- 



a uew jiJith edged with turf made through it to correspond with the cue leading from the fernery ; and 

 borders made on each side of this have been planted with showy plants in lines to form a ribbon border. 



A great deal of work has been done in the shrnljberies in the way of thinning out trees and 

 nianiH-ing an<l planting up. The soil here is generally very poor, and it is found necessary to give every 

 plant a liberal supply of manure, and to make good holes for them. Eight thousand five hundred and eighty- 

 two ornamental shrubs and garden plants have been planted out in the borders and shrubberies during the year. 



"A small plot of land near the herbaceous ground was piepared for monocolyledonous plants, and 

 specimen plants of most of the species growing in the garden have been planted in it. 



" F/oicer Garden. — The steep sloping path leading across the flower garden has been altered by 

 building a flight of steps at the lower end, and raising the path so that it now runs on a level with the 

 garden. Two small turf banks have also been made and the top borders filled up level with the path. 



" Visitors. — The number of visitors during the year was 460, being an increase of 90 over that of 

 the previous year. 



'• TVeather. — The weather during the ye.ar has been generally much finer than in the last, there being 

 much less rain and wind ; though the number of days on which rain fell was only 9 short of last year — 226 

 this year against 235 last — as follows:— 



Total— 233 Total— 226 



" The total rainfall from 1st July to the end of the year was 47"06 inches, as given below: — 



July 



August 



September 



October 



November 



December 



Inches. 



11 96 

 7-96 

 3-27 

 6-80 

 9-24 

 7-83 



Total— 47-06 



" The greatest fall in any 24 hours was 4'8o inches from 12th to 13th July. The mean daily rainfall 

 for the six months was '26 inches nearly. 



" High wind began on the 9th of May, but after blowing with great force for a few days it became light, 

 and we had l)ut little more until the 27th when it became very strong again and continued with few intervals 

 to Ijlow with great force until the beginning of September. On several occasions during this time the force 

 was at the rate of over 30 miles an hour. 



" The full records of weather observations are published in the monthly tables of the Surveyor-General, 

 anct it is only necessary here to give au outline of the barometrical and thermoinetrical readings for the six 

 months: — 



Temperature of Aib, 



Mean. 



July ... 618 



August ... 61-8 



September ... C2'6 



October ... 60-9 



November ... 60'2 



December ... 60'4 



The six months 613 



Maximum temperature of air, 4tb July, 

 Minimum „ 4th Dec, 



' The mean amount of cloud for the six months was 8, the cloudiest month being November." 



3. — IleiHirafgoda Garden. 

 The condition of this garden is excellent, and there is little calling for improvement 

 The trespass of cattle has always been a troitble here, surrounded as the garden is by villages ; a 



