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Royal Botanic Gardens, Peradeniya, " of which two numberB have been issued during the year, 
containing several papers by members of the staff and one by a visitor, who worked for some time iri 
the Peradeniya laboratory. Several scientific workers from abroad have used the laboratories and other 
facilities now available here, which are becoming widely known. A email branch laboratory has been 
constructed at Hakgala, with sleeping and living accommodation attached to it, thus rendering that 
garden of much greater value than hitherto. 
Several numbers of the " Circular " have been published during the year, and appear to have 
met with much appreciation. The circulation of this little periodical continues to increase ; it is sent 
to local subscribers at the lowest possible rate,- merely sufficient being charged to cover postage (50 cents 
for twenty numbers). The articles in this journal are jiopularly written, and do not overlap those in 
the " Annals. " 
In view of the extension of the work of the Department, and the increasing interest manifested 
in " new " products and in scientific methods of cultivation and j^reparation of economic products, a re- 
organization of the Economic Museum at Peradeniya has been commenced, and at the same time an attempt 
is being made to collect and classify all available information about the existing or possible economic 
}>roducts of Ceylon ; the great masses of letters, cuttings, notes, references to books, &c., which have 
accumulated at Peradeniya during the past century are being arranged in files of a somewhat new 
I lesign, which will be kept in a public consulting room at the museum, and the specimens in the museum 
;ire being renewed and re-arranged in accordance with the files, so that inquirers may be able to obtain 
nil available information about products in which they are interested with the least possible trouble 
to themselves and to the staff of the Department. At the same time a resume of the chief facts of 
importance about all known economic products of the Island, native, cultivated, or imported, is being 
put together in book form, and is now in course of publication in the form of supplements to the 
" Annals." It is hoped that in this way a reliable work of reference may be completed within two or 
three years, which may prove valuable to planters, officials, and others interested in the products of the 
Island. The first chapter, dealing with gums, resins, indiarubber, &c., is now almost completed, and 
part of it has already appeared in print with the second number of the "Annals." The local annual 
subscription of Rs. 2'50 also covers the supplements. 
The second division of the Department (Botanical and Horticultural Gardens) includes the five 
gardens in different parts of the Island, and it has lately been decided by Government to open a sixth 
very small garden in the new park at Nuwara Eliya, with the view of trying what can be done on the 
peculiar soil of that place. The main duty of this division is to introduce and cultivate a few specimens 
of every possible kind of plant that may j^rove of use or interest, and to provide beautiful gardens for 
rhe pleasure and instruction of the public. At the same time it provides instruction and advice on 
iiorticultural matters, and supplies seeds and plants to the public in small quantity. It is no part of 
the duty of a botanic garden to make large scale trials of economic plants or to supply large quantities 
of seeds or plants. This is the work of an experimental garden, and hitherto such an institution has 
been wanting in Ceylon, but negotiations have been in progress during 1901 with the object of providing 
such a garden, where experiments may be tried on a commercial scale with staples or with plants which 
inay become staples. Such experiments may include not merely the cultivation of considerable areas 
of one plant, but the trial of manures, different modes of cultivation and treatment for disease, modes 
of preparation of products for market, and their actual sale upon the open market. Such an institution 
may serve as an object lesson, and supply when necessary large quantities of seeds or plants, beside 
testing the commercial possibilities of difEerent cultivations. It may also undertake the very desirabl 
work of breeding new and improved races and varieties of cultivated plants. 
Office work continues to increase, and the correspondence with planters and others is becomin 
very heavy. Working rooms have been provided for the Entomologist and Mycologist by the alteration 
of the godowns under the library suggested in last report. The librai-y has been largely added to by 
purchase, gift, and exchange, and is steadily becoming a really good working collection. 
An Ordinance (No. 5 of 1901) has been passed enabling the Government to take any necessar 
steps, such as fumigation, quarantine, or exchision, to prevent the introduction of disease into the Islan 
with plants from abroad. The import of cacao plants from the Dutch Indies has already been prohibite 
under this law. 
A system of small gardens at village schools having been inaugurated by the Department o 
I'liblic Instruction, this Department has supplied large quantities of seeds and plants of the best usefu 
kinds for distribution to the schools. Good results in the introduction of new cultivations and increase 
interest in agricultural progress may be hoped for from this work. 
The total cost of the Department, including special votes, has been Rs. 72,087, against Rs. 71,74 
last year. The receipts from sales, though the number of purchasers has increased, show a fall fro 
Kh. 4,f)58 to Rs. 3,741, owing to the cessation of the demand for rubber seed. 
I 
