Supplement lo This Da if a Issue. 
PvOTAL BOTANIC GAEDEJSrS. 
ABRIDGED REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR FOR 1893. 
Peradeniya Gardens. 
CnltiixUiuii. — To malce room for the planting of new trees a considerable number of more 
or less damaged or sickly old ones have been removed. Scarcely any were of interest, and of all 
we have numerous other specimens. Among them was the original GrevilUa rohusta (planted in 
1856), some lai'ge Coniferfe (Junij)C) u.<< hermudiana, Callitris rohusta, and Araucaria Cookii) 
which blocked out the light from the Herbarium, and one of the Ficus elastica (planted in 1833) 
lit the entrance, which had dropped most of its branches. 
More Conifers, of eleven species, have been put out on the hill in the South Garden, and addi- 
tional creepers to the trellisses. Of the latter we tind that many fail, the metal apparently becoming 
too heated for the plants to lay hold. 
Scale-insects of the Coccus family have always been a great pest in Peradeniya, and fresh 
kinds frequently appear. In the early part of the year I first noticed a new one, Orthesia nacrm, 
at first only on acanthaceous plants, but since spreading on to very many other shrubby plants. 
So bad has this pest become that we have twice had to cut down whole borders of shrubs. These 
insects have a tendency to spread themselves over all the world, and there is I think little doubt 
that the sending of living plants in Wardian cases is a principal mode of transport. 
We((.tJier. — The year was again exceptionally dry, the rainfall more than 11 in. below the 
average, the deficit being especially noticeable in May and in July-October. Yet the fall was 
on the whole well distributed, and on about the usual number of days, and the Gardens suffered 
but little from drought. .June and the early part of July was very wet, as Avas also November, and 
there was much dull sunless weather also in these months. Some unusually low temperatures were 
recorded in the early mornings at the end of January and beginning of February — on .Jlst January 
as low as 52" F. 
The following table gives the fall in each month for the year, and the averages for the past 
9-10 years : — 
Rainfall at Peradeniva. 
isii:!. 
Averu'if. 
Rain tall. 
Rainfall. 
Inches. 
Kainj' Days. 
Inches. 
Kainy Uay>. 
.Jaiiiuii \ 
&m 
4 
l-()7 
4-1 
3 j 
Febiuarv 
3 
1 -611 
March 
7-M 
13 
4-7'.l 
6 ; For 9 yeai-s. 
Ai.iil 
\)-iu 
15 
9-77 
13 r 1884-92 
^fay 
U 
8-78 
.. 13 1 
June 
i;j-44 
18 
10- IS 
19 J 
July 
lit 
7-0'.l 
.. itn 
.. 15 i 
Augu.st 
:i8.T 
U 
(".•18 
SeptoiuluT 
211 
7 
()-19 
13 For 1(1 voar-s 
October 
H-U8 
lit 
11 -50 
lit ( l.>^s:V92 
Xovember 
lit 
".I-72 
.. n; 1 
DecLMnber 
3-37 
5 
S-Olt 
iij 
Year 
... 72-38 
1.52 
8G-5G 
154 For 9 veai'> 
