tive scenery, and plenty of English-speaking people as well. 

 There is also a small hotel at Peradeniya Junction, in which we 

 were very comfortable for two weeks, but which requires a two- 

 mile walk or a rickshaw ride to reach the garden. 



The Botanical Garden was established in 1821, with Alexander 

 Moon as the first superintendent. The scientific importance of 

 the garden was attained under the long directorship of Dr. 

 Thwaites, who retired in 1880. He was followed by Dr. Trimen, 

 author of the Flora of Ceylon. After his death in 1896, Dr. J. C. 

 Willis was appointed director, and retired in 191 1. 



The garden has an area of approximately 150 acres. It has 

 the shape of a horseshoe, the curving sides of which are formed 

 by the river Mahaweli-ganga, the largest river of Ceylon, while 

 the main wagon road to Kandy forms the other side. Its surface 

 is gently rolling, and is well laid out with numerous carriage 

 drives and footpaths. In the background in every direction rise 

 the mountains, partly covered with second-growth forest, but 

 mainly with tea estates, so that the garden has a particularly 

 charming setting. 



The buildings of the garden are few and unpretentious. There 

 is a one-story office building, with the office of the director; 

 a library, containing an excellent collection of botanical refer- 

 ences; a museum and herbarium building, containing below 

 museum exhibitions of considerable interest and above a good 

 herbarium ; and a general laboratory, one story high and without 

 any adequate provision for visiting scientists. Botanists will in 

 general find better facilities and much better accommodations 

 for any sort of investigation at Buitenzorg. 



In general appearance, the garden is strikingly difTerent from 

 the one at Buitenzorg. There are broad lawns, arbors, and 

 flower beds, apparently intended to make the place look as much 

 like a British park as possible. Since the trees are planted 

 farther apart, it is frequently possible to get photographs of 

 individual specimens and of general landscapes. This is usually 

 impossible in Buitenzorg, because the vegetation is too dense. 

 All in all, the garden is much more attractive than Buitenzorg, 

 but not nearly so rich scientifically. 



