July i, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
4 
on a mound o£ earth and compost formed in the 
warmest part of the pond ; it began to flow^ ou 
November 3, and at the time of writing (April, 
1897) is still in bloom. 
Weathek. — An unusually wet year on the whole, 
especially in the north-east monsoon. The total fall 
was 28'72 in. above the average of the past ten 
years. The greatest fall in any twenty-four hours 
was 6'58 in. from December 15 to 16. 
VisiTOKS. — The total number of visitors for the year 
is approximately 18,000 : the book kept at the lodge 
was signed by 2,520 persons not resident in Ceylon, 
the largest number on record, and an increase of 237 
over last year. A number of seats have been provided 
for the convenience of visitors, and have been much 
appreciated. 
Guide Book, Lists, &c. — The last edition of the 
“ Hand Guide” willsoon be exhausted. I find that the 
sales of this work are almost entirely to extra-colo- 
nial visitors, and I am therefore preparing a smaller 
and cheaper edition in the hope that it may prove 
of more use locally. A number of copies of the “ List 
of Plans cultivated at Peradeniya” still remain, but 
the list is now very incomplete, and material is 
being collected for a new one. A list of seeds 
available for exchange or sale is also in preparation, 
and will, it is hoped, be ready for the press early 
in 1897. Another desideratum is a new Catalogue of 
the Library, the old one being very incomplete 
indeed. 
5. — Hakgala Gakden. 
The following extracts from the full report of the 
Superintendent show the chief work that has been 
done during the year : — 
Nursebies. — The usual stock of ornamental and 
useful plants has been kept up in the nurseries, and 
large quantities have been distributed to different 
parts of the Islamd, I regret to report that many 
thousands of small plants and seedlings were destroyed 
both in the nurseries and in the borders by the ex- 
cessive rainfall during the latter part of the year ; 
the foggy, sunless, wet weather for almost three 
months together proved too much for many introduced 
plants. Geraniums especially suffered this season ; 
this was to be expected when for days together the 
heavy rain silted the soil up the stems as high as six 
to nine inches. 
A wattle fence was put up all round the new nursery 
Such a fence keeps out hares and larger animals for a 
time, but in a damp climate like this it soon becomes 
decayed and useless, and much labour is required to 
keep it in repair. I trust we shall soon be allowed a 
permanent and effective fence of wire and wire 
netting. 
The beds of Turkey oak [Qaercus cerris) mentioned 
in last year’s report have grown well, and are now ready 
for distribution ; they are nice, strong, little plants, 
and will be useful and interesting for planting round 
up-country bungalows. 
About 100 scions of plums and apples were grafted 
on to common stocks, and the greater part of them 
have taken well. 
A good supply of Cherimoyer seeds was presented 
to the garden in October by Mr. John Tily, of Diai- 
bula. Moat of these were sown in beds and boxes, 
and the remainder sent to the Badulla and Pera- 
deniya Gardens. 
Over 900 packets of seeds were sown in seed pans and 
boxes, and several beds of seeds were sown in the 
nursery. No fewer than 50,136 seedlings were pricked 
out or transplanted during the year, 88,703 cuttings 
were planted in the nursery and propagating house, 
and 6,886 plants potted. 
Classified Herbaceous Garden. — By far the hea- 
viest piece of work during the year has been the 
making of an entirely new Herbaceous garden. This 
has been made upon the old site ; it is irregular in 
shape, measuring 130 ft. in its greatest length, with 
an average width of 57. The slope of the old garden 
was very steep ; the gardient of the new one is only 
1 in 60. A turf bank, 120 yards long and from 
1 to 10 ft. deep, was formed all along the lower 
side, and the upper part cut down in a correspond- 
ing degree. The garden is divided into two 
parts by a rock bank 4 ft. high, and the two 
parts are connected by a flight of steps. Other 
flights of steps, five m all, lead out of the 
garden in various directions. 
The garden is laid out into 45 beds 4 ft. wide with 
paths _2J ft. wide between them, and with a wider 
central path. The beds are edged with small red 
tiles, specially made for the purpose at Mahagas- 
tota brick kiln ; these form a neat and inexpensive 
edging. The total length of the paths is 318 yards 
and of edgings 682 yards. About 800 species of 
herbaceous plants have been set out in their proper 
places according to their natural orders, and most of 
them are doing well. It will of course be some time 
before ail the beds are filled up. The hard, steep 
bank at the upper end has been planted with a 
variety of suitable plants in small pockets. 
Rose Garden. — The old rose garden, made in 1884, 
was found to be on too steep a slope. The plants 
n it being worn out, it was, decided to reduce the 
slope and make a new garden upon the same site. 
The new garden forms a circle 64 ft. in diameter, 
with a gradient of 1 in 60 ; a large quantity of soil 
was excavated and used to fill in the hollow below. 
A central drain, 3 ft. deep and 33 yards long, with 
six cross drains, each 30 ft. long and 2 ft. 6 in. deep, 
was made; each has a stone 1' box” drain, 4 inches 
square at the bottom. The whole plot was dug to a 
depth of 2 ft., and the bad soil replaced by better. The 
bank which runs round three-fourths of the plot was 
finished to an angle of 45 dg. and turfed ; two flights 
of steps were built upon it. During the early part of 
December the garden was laid out into beds 6 ft. wide, 
with paths 4 ft. wide, and verges of English lawn 
grass. The weather was, however, too wet for 
-pdanting. A collection of 120 varieties of roses was 
received at the end of the year from Messrs. Smith 
& Co., of Worcester, and these, with others, will be 
planted early in 1897. 
Foot and-mouth Dlsease.— This disease broke out 
at the end of August ; nearly all the cattle suffered 
from it, and one weak old cow died. 
^ Porcupines. — These destructive animals paid us a 
visit in July and did much damage to plants of the 
Lily and Iris families, especially Mor<ea iridioides. 
In November they came again and completely des- 
troyed a large number of handsome clumps of Wedding 
flower (Moroea Uobinsoniana.) 
Visitors. — The number of visitors during the year 
was 1,568, against 1,528 last year. The largest number 
in anyone month was 248 in April, the smallest 33 in 
July. 
Weather.— 1896, rainfall, 110-04 ; days, 220 ; 1895, 
rainfall, 94-15; days 205; average rainfall, 90-78 ; 
average days 207. 
HENERATGODA GARDEN. 
This is a most valuable and interesting garden, and 
it is to be regretted that it is not more often visited, 
considering its nearness to Colombo. The garden is 
well kept, but much more might be made of it were 
the labour force slightly increased and a regular sup- 
ply of manure ensured ; without the latter no real 
cultivation of the many important plants contained in 
the garden can be carried on. Cattle trespass con- 
tinues to give much trouble, and will do so until a 
barbed wire fence is placed around the garden. Labels 
also are much wanted. The bridge outside the entrauco 
is becoming dangerous and requires repair. 
Weather. — The following table gives the rainfall 
for the year ; the last quarter was unusually wet : — 
Total, 1896, 103-78 in. on 173 days, against 1)2-71 on 
154 days in 1895. 
7. — Anuradhapura Garden. 
This pretty little garden is in good order, with the 
exception of the buildings, which are in a ruinous 
condition. The chief requisites are increased labour- 
supply, new cooly-liues, repairs or rebuilding of the 
conductor's bungalow, a wire fence, and a supply of 
manure. The garden suffers in usefulness from the 
apathy of the inhabitants, but it may be hoped that 
with the opening up of the country and the extension 
of irrigation this will not always be so. 
