Supplement to This Days' Issue. 
THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS. 
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR FOR 1894. 
1.— Changes in the Staff. 
I REGRET to have to record the loss during the past year of two capable and energetic native 
officers of long service. Mr. J. A. Ferdinandus, late clerk and foreman at Peradeniya, was seized 
with paralysis at the end of 1893, and after some months' leave of absence on medical certificate, 
was retired on pension on April 13.* He had served for over 32 years in this Department, having 
been trained from boyhood by my predecessor, Dr. Thwaites. He was a most trustworthy man, and 
possessed an intimate knowledge of the contents of the gardens and their history, of native plants 
and products, and of official work, so that his loss was much felt by me. I however took the 
opportunity of his retirement to get some cbanges effected, and by the abolition of the post of 
foreman (the duties of which office are now carried out by the Head Gardener), and the addition of 
an assistant clerk, we are better able to cope with official clerical work, which has greatly increased 
of recent years. The post of Clerk was filled by the appointment of Mr. J. Ferdinandus (of the 
Ceylon Government Railway Department), who took up his duties on May 7, and that of Assistant 
Clerk by the promotion of Gabriel Appu, long serving here as a gardener. 
On September 2 we lost by death the conductor of Henaratgoda Garden, Amaris de Zoysa 
Samarasekara, Muhandiram, who had been in charge of that branch since its foundation in 1876, 
having had previously fifteen years' service in Peradeniya. He was an intelligent man, who took a 
real interest in the garden under his charge. During his illness his duties were attended to by Mr. 
M. G. Perera, Clerk and Foreman of Hakgala Garden, and his place has been filled by the promotion 
from Anuradhapura of Siyanaris de Silva, Arachchi ; the garden at the latter place being now placed 
under the charge of D. Frederick de Silva Gunaratna, late plant collector at Peradeniya. 
Mr. W. Nock, Superintendent of Hakgala Gardens, was on leave of absence from April 6, and 
had not returned at the end of the year.t Mr. Clark of Peradeniya has been acting for him during 
this period, residing at Hakgala, but paying frequent visits of inspection .to the main garden. 
2. — Peradeniya Gardens. 
Roads and Paths. — We completed the re-making of the remainder (635 yards) of the River 
Drive round the gardens, 4,000 bushels of broken metal being supplied from Kandy Jail to help 
our supply of stones from the garden pit. New culverts were put in where required, and the whole 
road uniformly widened to 15 feet. 
Buildings. — A new house has been provided for the Head Gardener, in place of the old store 
he has occupied for so many years, the material of which has been utilized in the construction of the 
new building. I am very pleased that this improvement, which I have urged for some years, has 
been at length carried out. The work was done by the Public Works Department, which has also 
repaired the arachchi's cottage, which was in danger of collapse, and has attended to the roof and 
guttering of the Museum building. The tiled roof to the plant-collector's cottage has been com- 
pleted at the cost of the garden. 
Improvements. — With the assistance of a small special vote we have been enabled to complete 
the octagon conservatory described in my last report. Cemented solid brick stages have been 
erected, a long bed bordered with tiles made round one-half of the interior, and the whole floor 
cemented ; no woodwork whatever is employed in the house. All was finished before the end of 
April, and I am much pleased with the result. It is principally filled with ornamental "foliage 
plants" — of which Ave now possess a fine collection — which thrive here remarkably well, and the 
general effect of the whole is very good. 
The woodwork of the roof of the glazed conservatory (erected in 1882) having become 
affected with d'ry-rot, had to be renewed at a cost of about Rs. 170, including new blinds and tats. 
This house is chiefly used for raising seedlings in pans. 
A semicircular bed (No. 8 on plan) had already become somewhat of an eyesore, occupying a 
prominent position in the Main Drive. It was planted with roses, which, though well attended to. 
manured, and often renewed, have never done well : and latterly i he bed had become badh infested 
with the troublesome weed called "kalanduru " (Cypente rotundus}, I therefore determined on 
its abolition. After removal of the rose bushes it was deeply dug up, and the cyperus tubers carefully 
picked out by hand three or four times over. It was found to be so filled with roots from neigh- 
bouring trees as to be obviously unable to support smaller plants; these were all cut away, the bed 
turfed over, and thrown into the large lawn, which is thus brought up to the drive, to the great 
improvement of this part of the garden. 
* Mr. Ferdinandu- died on January s. is'.r. 
