A terribly dry year has been again experienced, only 40-77 in. in all, and of this 18-02 in. 
fell in one month. As in last year, this wet month was again April. During the next five months 
only 2- 69 in. fell, and by the end of September the condition of the Garden was pitiable : not a 
blade of grass to be seen, and the larger plants dead and dying. A good fall of 6-27 in. occurred, 
however, in November, and though the usually heavy rain of December was represented by only 
4-36 in., yet by the end of the year things had much improved. 
It is indeed remarkable how comparatively well some trees stand the drought which would 
have been expected to fail to do so. Thus the breadfruit ripened last year, and good plantains of 
the h 6 liJuittu^ 2 iv\eij -ssfQve abundant. The only bamboo of those tried that seems likely to succeed 
is the male bamboo ( Dendrocalamus strictus). 
This Garden rarely has a visitor, but it is becoming a very pretty spot, and the show of 
flowering shrubs and trees a fairly good one. 
5 . — Badulla Garden. 
Much has been effected here during the year, and at length this Garden is beginning to be an 
attractive place. Considering that it was planted only so recently as 1886, I am very well satisfied 
with the progress made. 
The season of 1890 has been favourable : a good rainfall — the exact amount of which cannot 
be given owing to want of records for April — well distributed through the year, has kept up a steady 
growth, only checked by the dry weather in July to September, and even this was less marked than 
usual. Heavy rains occurred in January and April and in October and November. 
The great improvement of the year, however, has been the provision of a constant water 
supply instead of the uncertain and intermittent one upon which we had formerly to rely. As was 
arranged (see my last report), the ornamental lake in the centre of the race-course is fed by a 
channel which is carried through the Garden, and in its course there fills a small reservoir. This 
was constructed in April, and is 20 ft. by 9 ft. and 4 ft. deep ; it keeps constantly full. The 
channel cuts the main drive and three smaller paths, and under these culverts have been built. 
All this work has been done, without cost to my Department, by the Public Works Department 
and under the eye of the Government Agent, Mr. Fisher, to whom my thanks are due for the 
active interest he has constantly shown in the progress of the Garden. 
Some alterations have been made at the western side of the Garden, where a narrow strip of 
land adjoining the Mohammedan burial ground, on the north side of the road of approach to the 
Garden entrance, has been taken in and fenced off with a good hedge of Madras thorn. This faces 
a similar narrow strip on the opposite side of the road, and an avenue of trees ( Castanospermum 
anstrale ) has been planted on either side. It wfill be necessary to remove the gates from their 
present position so as to include this avenue within the Garden bounds. 
The supply of manure from the town, thirty cartloads a month, was intermittent during the 
early part of the year owing to the cattle murrain, but has since been steadily kept up. This is a 
great advantage to the Garden, and its use has had a v^ry marked effect on this old paddy land. I 
think, too, that the larger trees and shrubs have now got through the exhausted upper layer of soil, 
and are beginning to get the benefit of the untouched lower strata. Certainly their growth is now 
stronger and healthier than at any previous time. Some of the young trees of Cedrela odorata are 
already 2 ft. in girth at the base and 16^ in. at a yard from the ground. Our chief trouble now is 
the vast abundance of white ants, and these are specially destructive in the nurseries. 
The unsightly little dwelling of the Conductor was hurriedly put up at the commencement of 
the Garden, and is badly placed and unhealthy. As two of his children have suffered here from 
typhoid, I have recommended that a new and better house in a different position may be built for 
the Conductor, and I trust this may be done during ths coming year. The other wants of the 
Garden are a permanent conservatory for pot plants, better cooly lines, and the proper metalling 
and drainage of the main drive. Some or all of these I hope soon to supply. 
6 . — Interchange of Plants and Seeds. 
Our exchanges with other Botanical establishments have been less active during the past year 
than in any previous one of my occupancy; and it is obvious that such a time must at length 
arrive. Not only do we, as gradually year by year our desiderata are supplied, find that there is 
less and less to be got, but, at the same time, as we supply other Gardens with their wants we 
find our resources becoming exhausted, since we have less and less to offer that they require. 
Indeed, I now find that the receipts from other Botanic Gardens consist principally of things which 
we have already hero. 
During 1890 wo received in exchange only six Wardian cases andfive boxes of plants. They 
wen; from the following : — The Royal Gardens, Kew (two. cases, two boxes); the Botanic Gardens 
