( « ) 
it  being  the  successor  of  the  one  established  by  the  late  Mr.  (afterwards  Sir)  J.  F.  Dickson,  and 
• transferred  to  my  Department  in  1881,  at  his  suggestion,  in  the  hope  that  more  could  be  thus 
effected  than  he  was  able  to  do  with  it.  The  Provincial  vote  will  again  be  unavailable  for  the 
Garden  in  1896. 
The  following  is  Mr.  Nock’s  report ; — 
The  vote  for  this  interesting  and  pretty  garden  of  15  acres  is  very  small,  viz.,  Rs  1,200,  out  of  which  the 
pay  of  the  Conductor  has  to  come.  Until  this  year  it  has  been  supplemented  by  a Provincial  vote  of  about  Bs.  300, 
which  has  helped  us  considerably,  and  has  usually  been  expended  in  the  purchase  of  tools,  carriage  of  plants  from 
the  other  gardens,  and  for  small  improvements.  This  year,  owing  to  some  expenditure  on  native  gardens  of  his 
own.  the  Government  Agent  could  not  see  his  way  to  grant  us  this  vote,  or  even  a part  of  it,  and  therefore  little 
could  be  done  beyond  watering  and  keeping  the  place  fairly  tidy. 
The  ti'ees  and  plants,  both  ornamental  and  useful,  have  grown  well  during  the  year,  but  it  is  disheartening 
that  although  numbers  of  plants  have  been  raised  for  distribution  very  few  have  been  applied  for. 
Manure  here,  as  at  the  other  branch  gardens,  is  very  much  needed,  but  unlike  the  other  gardens  there  is 
plenty  of  it  to  be  had  close  at  hand  had  we  the  means  of  transporting  it.  It  was  the  intention  this  year  to  have 
bought  a cart  and  pair  of  bullocks  for  this  purpose  and  for  carting  gravel,  out  of  the  vote  above  referred  to.  A 
new  hand-cart,  watering  pots,  and  a general  set  of  garden  tools,  as  well  as  a set  of  decent  and  jiermanent  rooms 
for  the  few  labourers,  and  a new  plant-house  are  also  urgently  needed.  Seats  would  be  a great  convenience,  and  I 
think  would  be  an  inducement  for  more  people  to  visit  and  enjoy  the  garden.  The  cooly  lines  and  plant-shed, 
which  had  fallen  into  a wretched  state,  were  temporarily  repaired  and  rethatched.  This  work  was  paid  for  out  of 
the  vote  for  contingencies  from  the  Peradeniya  Gardens. 
At  the  beginning  of  the  year  the  small  ornamental  pond  was  cleared  out  and  a new  set  of  aquatics  put  in. 
A drain  was  cut  from  the  middle  channel  across  the  fruit-tree  plot  to  conduct  the  water  to  this  part  of  the  garden, 
and  thus  save  labour  in  carrying  it  by  hand. 
The  roads  and  paths  which  had  become  overgrown  with  “ kalanduru”  {Cyperus  rotundus)  have  been  care- 
fully dug  up  and  cleaned,  but  the  paths  especially  are  badly  in  want  of  a good  coating  of  gravel.  A plot  of  land 
formerly  occupied  by  plantain  trees  was  cleaned  and  made  into  a new  nursery  and  supplied  with  a stock  of  seeds, 
plants,  and  cuttings. 
Much  labour  was  spent  in  digging  out  white-ant  nests  and  levelling  the  hills.  Near  the  entrance  gates  a 
row  of  the  small  bamboos  were  planted  to  take  the  place  of  the  unsightly  jungle  stick  fence  there. 
A quantity  of  fruit-trees  and  ornamental  plants  have  been  potted  into  bamboo  pots  for  distribution,  and  a 
number  of  fruit-trees  have  been  planted  out. 
Many  of  the  economic  and  useful  trees  and  showy  plants  have  made  good  growth,  and  there  is  no  reason, 
except  want  of  energy,  why  they  should  not  be  more  largely  grown  in  the  district  by  the  villagers. 
In  the  early  part  of  the  year  considerable  damage  was  done  to  the  pineapples,  plantains,  and  arrowroot 
plants  by  porcupines.  These  animals  have  also  taken  to  the  tuberous- roots  of  the  Ceara  rubber  and  have  turned 
up  the  ground  all  about  these  trees.  The  damage  by  cattle  trespass  was  again  very  considerable  and  annoying, 
and  until  the  barbed-wire  fence  applied  for  can  be  obtained  and  erected  this  nuisance  is  sure  to  continue. 
Weather.- — The  total  rainfall  for  the  year  was  59’65  in.,  which  fell  on  103  days,  against  45’56  in.  of  rainfall 
last  year.  The  average  rainfall  for  twenty-four  years  is  53'38,  and  of  rainy  days  ninety-nine,  which  shows  that 
the  fall  this  year  was  much  above  the  avei’age,  or  6'27  in.,  but  of  rainy  dnys  it  was  only  four  above  the  average. 
The  month  of  February  was  absolutely  rainless,  and  May  and  July  very  nearly  so,  only  -06  in.  falling  in 
May  on  one  day  and '04  in.  in  July  on  one  day.  Heavy  rain  fell  in  April,  October,  November,  and  December, 
totalling  together  no  less  than  47'47  in.,  against  12-18  in.  only  for  the  other  eight  months.  So  that  the  garden 
suffered  from  drought  for  the  first  nine  months  of  the  year,  with  the  exception  of  April,  and  from  floods  during 
the  last  three  months. 
6. — Badulla  Garden. 
Nor  was  I able  to  get  to  this  Branch  during  the  year,  and  have  again  to  depend  on  the 
reports  of  Mr.  Nock,  who  paid  his  usual  visits.  I desire,  however,  to  call  especial  attention  to  the 
very  small  vote  granted  for  this  now  beautiful  Garden  of  11  acres,  only  Rs.  1,500  per  annum,  out 
of  which  have  to  be  met  the  Conductor’s  pay  of  Rs.  35  per  month  and  the  purchase  of  Garden 
requisites.  The  amount  remaining  available  for  labour  is  about  Rs.  80  per  month,  which,  as 
Mr.  Nock  points  out,  is  barely  equal  to  the  pay  in  England  of  one  working  gardener.  If  anything 
more  is  to  be  done  here  beyond  merely  keeping  the  ground  fairly  tidy,  our  vote  must  be  increased. 
I quote  the  following  from  the  report  of  Mr.  Nock  for  the  year  : — 
Most  of  the  trees  and  plants  have  made  rapid  and  healthy  growth,  which  has  improved  the  general 
appearance  of  the  garden  very  much,  and  it  is  now  a very  pleasant  resort  for  the  residents  and  visitors,  and  a real 
ornament  to  the  town.  A great  improvement  has  been  the  building  of  a pretty  and  permanent  bungalow  for  the 
Conductor.  It  was  designed  and  constructed  by  the  Public  Woi’ks  Department,  and  greatly  improves  the  appear- 
ance of  the  gardens.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  Public  Works  Department  may  soon  be  authorized  to  build  also 
a permanent  plant-house  and  a few  rooms  for  the  garden  coolies. 
An  improvement  has  also  been  effected  by  reducing  the  height  of  the  Madras  thorn  hedge  on  the  lake  side 
of  the  garden.  From  almost  any  part  of  the  garden  the  water  of  the  lake  is  now  seen. 
The  majority  of  the  fruit-tree  plants,  comprising  over  thirty  kinds,  are  doing  well,  and  many  of  them  have 
fruited  during  the  year.  Their  future  success  depends  in  a great  measure  on  the  labour  and  cultivation  that  can 
be  given  them.  The  Para-rubber  tree  has  borne  seeds.  These  ripen  here  about  three  or  four  months  later  in  the 
year  than  at  Heraratgoda.  The  Giant  Bamboo,  Durian,  Pimento,  several  conifers,  and  other  useful  and  orna- 
mental trees  have  now  become  established,  and  prove  to  do  well. 
The  borders  and  flower  beds  have  been  very  gay  with  flowers  of  such  things  as  Phlox,  perennial  and  annual, 
single  and  double  Indian  pinks.  Balsams,  Zinnias,  Heliotrope,  Coreopsis,  and  Chrysanthemum.  With  increased 
labour  a great  deal  more  might  be  done  in  this  way.  Labels  and  a few  seats  are  very  much  needed  both  for  the 
