( --3  ) 
An  important  improvement  has  been  the  provision  of  new  and  proper  accommodation  for 
the  coolies.  The  rotten  old  lines  were,  as  mentioned  in  my  last  report,  accidentallj’  burnt  do^yn, 
and  a special  vote  of  Rs.  1,500  was  granted  the  Department  for  the  erection  of  new  ones.  With 
this  sum  we  have  been  able  to  put  up  a permanent  building  121  ft.  6 in.  long  by  12  ft.  broad, 
containing  fifteen  rooms,  each  12  ft.  by  8 ft.,  the  walls  being  7 ft.  high.  The  foundation  and  pillars 
are  of  stone,  the  weather  side  and  the  two  ends  are  weather-boarded,  cased  inside  with  lath  and 
mud  plaster.  The  front  wall  and  the  partitions  are  of  lath  and  mud  plaster.  The  rooms  are  raised 
one  foot  above  the  ground,  and  there  is  a four-foot  verandah  the  whole  length  of  the  front.  The 
roof  is  covered  with  corrugated  iron.  The  wood  for  the  roof-timber,  weather-boarding,  doors, 
window-shutters,  &c.,  was  all  sawn  from  the  Garden  property,  and  the  lime  was  burnt  on  the 
premises.  Each  room  has  a door  and  window-shutter.  The  weather-boarding,  wall-plates,  veran- 
dah-posts, doors,  window-shutters,  and  all  exposed  woodwork  have  received  two  coats  of  tar,  and 
the  pillars  and  plastered  walls  have  been  whitewashed.  A long-felt  want  is  thus  now  supplied. 
I regret  that  Government  was  unable  to  sanction  a vote  for  roofing  also  the  Foreman’s 
quarters  with  corrugated  iron,  and  trust  this  may  soon  be  provided  ; it  is  much  needed,  as  rotten 
thatch  soon  affects  the  roof-timbers  in  the  wet  climate  of  Hakgala. 
The  potting-shed — an  important  place  in  a garden  such  as  Hakgala — collapsed  from  decay  at 
the  end  of  the  year.  It  is  much  to  be  regretted  that  our  finances  will  not  allow  of  the  erection  of 
permanent  buildings — temporary  structures  are  in  the  long  run  a loss  in  many  ways. 
Much  labour  has  been  expended  on  the  Carriage  Drive  and  paths,  the  heavy  and  sudden  falls 
of  rain  at  several  periods  of  the  year  having  done  much  damage. 
Ml'.  Nock  in  the  following  report  notes  the  great  increase  in  nursery  work  for  the  sale  of 
plants  to  the  public  at  Hakgala,  and  I fully  endorse  his  remarks  as  to  the  absolute  injury  and  loss 
which  result  to  the  Department  from  this  sort  of  work.  I have  frequently  expressed  my  opinion 
that  this  business  should  be  mainly  left  to  private  enterprise,  and  that  the  Botanic  Gardens  should 
not  be  expected  to  raise  for  sale  quantities  of  garden  plants,  but  be  allowed  a free  choice  as  to 
making  exchanges  or  giving  specimens  to  suitable  persons. 
From  the  very  full  report  of  the  Superintendent  I make  the  following' extracts  : — 
Roads  and  Paths. — 'the  large  drive  from  the  fernery  to  below  the  Herbaceous  Garden,  for  a distance  of  162 
yards,  was  remetalled  towards  the  end  of  the  year,  but  the  unprecedented  heavy  rain  on  the  27th  and  28th  of  ^Decem- 
ber caused  such  damage  that  this  will  again  have  to  be  re-made,  and  the  other  parts  of  the  drives  were  so  much  cut 
up  that  the  greater  portion  will  require  to  be  re-made  during  1896.  The  paths  all  over  the  garden  were  repaired 
where  necessary  and  kept  in  good  order.  The  new  garden  roller  has  been  of  much  service  for  this  work,  and  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  stating  that  it  has  already  fully  paid  for  its  cost  in  saving  of  labour.  Several  new  paths,  4 ft. 
wide,  were  made  during  the  year,  the  total  length  measuring  .891  yards.  One  of  them  starts  from  near  the  cattle- 
shed  at  the  back  of  the  bungalow,  and  leads  round  the  back  of  the  tennis  court.  This  enables  us  to  do  away  with 
the  steep  short  road  formeidy  used  by  the  cattle.  The  other  new  path,  which  is  290  yards  long,  branches  off  from 
the  one  above  the  fernery  and  leads  through  the  new  camphor  plantation,  connecting  with  the  old  water-course 
path  near  the  Finns  plantation.  The  trace  is  of  an  easy  gradient,  and  this  path  w'ill,  when  the  surroundings  are 
put  in  order,  make  a very  pleasant  addition  to  the  walks  of  the  garden. 
Fernery. — A few  thousand  plants,  mostly  begonias  and  native  ferns,  have  been  set  out  in  vacant  places, 
and  about  100  orchids  have  been  fixed  on  to  the  tree  stems.  The  tree-ferns  and  the  banks  of  Adiantums  have 
grown  well,  and  are  in  a very  thriving  state.  A stone  side  drain  111  ft.  long  was  laid  down  on  the  upper  side 
of  the  path  leading  up  to  the  Adiantum  banks  from  the  Camellia  bed. 
The  hed  of  Primida  ohconica,  which  has  been  flowering  so  long  and  so  well,  was  dug  up,  re- made,  and 
re-planted.  A bed  in  the  lower  part  of  this  garden  was  planted  with  plants  of  the  beautiful  and  interesting  native 
fern  .Aspidium  aculeatum  var.  anomuluni^  with  begonias  and  other  ferns  planted  between  them.  It  has  been  stated, 
and  is  believed  by  some  still,  that  after  a time  under  cultivation  this  plant  will  produce  the  spores  on  the  under 
surface  of  the  fronds  as  in  other  ferns.  This  is  not  correct  as  far  as  my  experience  goes,  and  we  can  show  plants 
here  that  have  been  cultivated  for  over  ten  years  that  still  keep  true  and  produce  healthy  spores  on  the  upper 
surface  only. 
Nurseries. — The  old  nursery  has  mostly  been  given  up  owing  to  the  pest  Oxalis,  which  has  got  such  a hold 
th.at  it  is  impossible  to  eradicate  it  without  allowing  the  beds  to  lie  fallow  for  some  time.  New  beds  were  made 
below  the  .site  of  the  old  cooly  lines,  and  we  hope  to  be  able  to  fence  and  lay  out  this  plot  during  1896  and 
make  a good  nursery  of  it. 
Ten  beds  of  Turkey  oak  (Quercns  Cerris)  were  sown  in  the  nursery  at  the  beginning  of  November,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  year  they  were  germinating  freely. 
Seven  hundred  and  twenty-eight  packets  of  seeds  were  sown  in  seed  pans  and  boxes,  and  some  were  sown 
in  beds  in  the  nursery  ; 59,889  seedlings  pricked  out  or  transplanted  ; 90,162  cuttings  of  various  garden  plants 
and  shrubs  were  put  in  nursei-y  and  propagating  house  ; and  3,949  plants  were  potted. 
Six  thousand  three  hundred  and  ninety -eight  wooden  labels  were  made,  and  most  of  them  used  in  the 
work  of  propagation,  the  painting  and  writing  of  these  taking  up  a considerable  amount  of  time.  117  plant  boxes 
and  a few  plant  tubs  were  also  made  for  propagating  purposes. 
One  hundred  and  seventy-two  grafts  of  good  varieties  of  plums  were  grafted  on  to  stocks  of  the  common 
cooking  plum,  and  29  apples  were  also  grafted.  ]\lost  of  these  have  taken  well.  Some  of  the  grafts  put  on  last  year 
have  grown  stout  healthy  shoots,  4 to  5 ft.  long.  More  of  this  work  would  be  done,  but  there  is  a great  difficulty  of 
obtaining  stocks  for  the  purpose. 
The  number  of  applicants  this  year  was  far  above  that  of  previous  years,  and  the  sum  realized  by  the  sale 
of  plants  was  nearly  double  that  of  last  year,  and  more  than  double  that  of  1893.  This  of  course  tells  consider- 
ably against  the  upkeep  of  the  garden,  because  much  more  labour  has  to  be  expended  in  propagation  and  nursery 
work.  As  all  revenue  is  passed  oii  direct  to  the  Treasury,  the  more  we  realize  the  less  the  garden  benefits. 
