( ) 
from seed, are over 22 ft. high ; and seedling trees of Eucalyptm alba are making fine growth. In 
favourable years like this, it is interesting to find plants succeeding which are not generally adapted 
for the climate : thus, a cacao this year ripened eleven good pods, the seeds of which have been 
sown. Breadfruit and pineapples seem to ripen in most years. 
In spite of those interesting results, I confess to feeling some disappointment as regards this 
branch garden. It has now been nine years in existence, and it must be acknowledged that its 
infiuence on the inhabitants of the North-Central Province has been very slight. In the little town 
itself some improvement in the gardens is observable : many now have flowers in the front, and 
there are beginning to appear a very few cocoamrts, jaks, mangoes, oranges, limes, breadfruits, 
plantains, and pineapples. These have been obtained from the Garden, but how small is the desire 
for such things is evidenced by tlie fact that the average annual sales have been leas than Rs. fiO. 
The purchasers, too, are almost always Tamils from Jaffna. 
The Arachchi in charge is a very intelligent, industrious, and capable man, but he is dis- 
couraged by the tittle result of his nine 'years’ work and the little support he receives. Our very 
small vote— deducting his pay, only Ks. fiOO per annum — also renders it impossible to carry out 
even the most trifling improvements, the whole being required to pay a few coolies, whose main 
work is watering ; yet I scarcely feel justified in asking for a larger sum for the support of a Garden 
in which no one of those intended to be benefited by it appears to take the slightest interest. 
We have usually had the use of a small provincial vote for “ Botanic Gardens ” annually 
placed in the hands of the Government Agent, and this has enabled me to send up cartloads of 
plants from Peradeniya ; but the vote this year has not been available for us, being otherwise 
employed. 
'l hope to be able to properly roof the Conductor’s bungalow, and to build brick or stone 
supports for the plant-house during the coming year. 
6.— Badulla Garden. 
Our little vote just suffices to keep up routine work here, and does not allow of much 
progress by any additional undertakings. The principal improvement during the year has been 
the levelling of the main driving road, which formerly ran over a hill now cut through. The flower- 
beds on either side now appear raised above the road, but this has by no means a bad effect. 
The young trees and shrubs have made much progress, this being largely due to a good supply 
of manure' regularly obtained from the town till the end of July. Some new arrangement 
for its disposal having been (hen made, we have lost this benefit for the remainder of the year ; 
but it is hoped that the deprivation will be only temporary. Many trees have made striking growth 
here, especially conifers ; a durian is 1(! ft. high, and the rambutans have (lowered. Brick pillars in 
place of wooden ones have been set up in the plant-shed, but 1 have not been able to finish this 
house or to build new cooly lines as I hoped to do. 
Nor has as yet anything been done to give a better cottage to the Conductor. Tliis is urgently 
needed, and I trust will be effected during the coming year. 
As usual the Garden suffered somewhat from drought in the very dry weather of August 
and September ; but the year generally was, here as elsewhere, a wet one. In all 142-48 in. of rain 
fell, of which no less than 87-74 fell during the last quarter of the year, October having the extra- 
ordinary record of 41-()7 in. 
7.— Interchange op Plants and Seeds. 
Our mutual relations with other Botanical establishments are shown by the following lists i-" 
Plants. — Wardian cases and boxes of living plants were received from the following ; KeV' 
(2), Calcutta (2), Singapore (J), Buiten/.org (2), Natal (1), Trinidad (2), and from Messrs. Sander ( 2 )’ 
Messrs. Bull (1), and Messrs. Veitch (1). 
Cases and boxes in exchange were sent to the following : — Kew (15), Cambridge (1), Calcntt 
(2), Singapore (1), Hongkong (1), Buitenxorg (1), Brisbane (1), and to Messrs. Sander (4), Messri^- 
Bull (1), and Messrs. Veitch (1). 
Seeds . — Packets of seeds have been received from the Botanic Gardens at Kew, Edinburgh* 
Dublin, St. Petersburg, Paris, Calcutta, Sahai-unpore, Madras, Hongkong, Singapore, Buiten>!org. 
Natal, Mauritius, Jamaica, Trinidad, British Guiana; also from Baron P. von Mueller, Melbom'n • 
J. S. Gamble, Dehra Dun ; W. Bull, London ; J. II. Maiden, Sydney ; and L. Ya«^os, California. 
In exchange, seeds have been sent to Kew, Cambridge, St. Petersburg, Calcutta, Saharunpoi > 
Madras, Singapore, Penang, Hongkong, Natal, Buiten/.org, Mauritius, Brisbane, Jamaica, Gveiiji ’ 
Trinidail, and British Guiana ; to the Agri-Horticultural Society at Calcutta, to Baron von Muei * 
and to Messrs. Bull and Veitch. * 
My thanks are also due to the following residents in the Colony to whom the 
indebted for plants, cuttings, or seeds, by gift or in exchange : — Lady IlaA'elock, Mrs. Baker, 
