| ee e ‘MEDLEY Woob, a oe | Corresponding Member ae the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain, | ee ee | DURBAN : | Bennett & Davis, Prinrars, 345, West Srreet. oS ETT SES Ta SS i a TS ES SE RT RTT ETT SRR BS Qurban Bofanie Society. REPORT NATAL TH GARDENS — COLONIAL ‘HERBARIUM, —FROM— —$¢. JANUARY 1st to JUNE 30th, 1901, 3¢- =. BYye= J. MEDLEY WOOD, A.L.S., Corresponding Member of the Pharmaceu tical Society of Great Britain, wan © U BR ARE © RK. x SOAS Fees Fis Sa Fa A ERG as a SS So DURBAN BOTANIC SOCIETY. President ; B. W. GREENACRE, ESQ., M.L.A. Conimnittee : Mr. T. W. EDMONDS Mr. M. S. Evans, M.LA. Hon. R. JAMESON, M.L.C. Mr. H. H. PUNTAN. Mr. G. RUTHERFORD, C.M.G., @®overnnent Menbers : Mr. J. S. STEEU. Mr. J. D. BALLANCE. Mayors of Durban and Pietermaritzburg, ex officio. See & Accountant: @rrasnrer : Mr. F. W. DORE. Mr. J. MEDLEY Woop, A.L.S. Curator : Mr. J. MEDLEY Woob, A.L.S. DURBAN BOTANIC GARDENS. SEE nerin teas Seeet ieee EE vox BY E- LAW SBS. Ko: = ee 1, The Gardens are open to the public every weekday from sunrise to sunset ; on Sundays from 2 o’clock p.m. until sunset. 2. The only public entrance is opposite to Botanic Gardens Road, and persons are prohibited from entering or leaving by any other way. 3. Children under ten years of age, unless accompanied by a competent protector, cannot be admitted. 4. Persons accompanied by a dog or dogs cannot be admitted. 5. No vehicle shall be allowed entrance, nor persons upon bicycles, but upon application to the Curator, invalids in wheeled chairs may be admitted. 6. Admission may be granted to pic-nic parties, if per- mission be first obtained from the Curator. 7. Visitors are requested to keep to the paths. 8. Touching or handling plants, fruit, or flowers, is strictly prohibited. 9. All games, climbing of trees, shooting with guns or catapults, throwing of stones or fruit, disorderly or indecent behaviour, are strictly prohibited. 10. Any persons abstracting, destroying or damaging any property of the Society shall be liable to be prosecuted. 11. The Curator is hereby authorised to prosecute offenders under the foregoing Bye-Laws whenever found to be necessary. The Jubilee Conservatory is open to the public as under :— Week day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer; from 9 a.m. to sunset in winter; Sundays, from 2.30 p.m. to 5.30 p.m. in summer ; from 2.30 p.m. to sunset in winter. Fe a ee Sn 5 TE SE SSE SS aia F Comat " r = 3 Saar Says Se ee sooty iP Gi 1. 2s Brea NataL Botanic GARDENS, Berea, Juty, 1901. To THE PRESIDENT AND COMMITTEE, Dursan Botanic Sociery. GENTLEMEN, — It having been decided that for the future my Annual Report shall cover the period between the 30th of June in the one year to the same date in the next, I have now the pleasure to hand you my 2%h Report on the work at the Gardens and Herbarium, which includes this time, six months only. At the close of the year 1900, in consequence of the prolonged drought, the prospect appeared to be a rather gloomy one, but soon after the commencement of the year it became considerably brighter, the rainfall for January being 5.93 inches, the greatest fall in any month of the previous year having been 4.52 inches in October ; and it will be seen by the Abstract kindly supplied from the Observatory that we also had good rains in February and March, the total rainfall for the six months being 30.02 inches, which is greater by 2.7 inches than the whole rainfall for 1900. In consequence of this very favourable season the trees in the Gardens are looking well, and most of them have now re- covered from the effects of the long drought, still, in addition to the losses mentioned in my last Report, the following have succumbed :— Bauhinia, sp. Phoenix pygmaea. Cocos plumosa. Hakea, sp. Pinus, spp. (2) Pinus insignis. Maclura auwrantiaca “ Osage Orange.” Oreodowxa regia. In the short time that has elapsed since the publication of my last Report, but little has been done in the way of improve- ment or alteration in the Gardens, other necessary work having absorbed most of the time of the hands, and native labour is not obtainable in sufficient numbers to enable us to commence 8 work which is much needed, but which should be got through rapidly when once commenced. It will, I think, be necessary for us to import Indian labourers for the greater portion of the regular routine work, utilising such native labour as we are able to obtain in that portion of it in which skill or experience is not necessary. This will entail upon us the expense of erecting more brick quarters, and the part of the ground in which it will be best to place them will be a matter for future consideration. A commencement has, however, been made in clearing one of the blocks as suggested in my last report, and Block H was selected to commence with. From this Block the following trees have been removed :— 1 Araucaria Bidwilli. 1 Kraussia lanceolata. 1 Anona squamosa. 5 Lagerstroemza, sp. 1 Bauhinia candicans. | Laurus camphora. 1 Cestrum laevigatum. 13 Mangifera indica. 2 Ortrus Aurantium. 1 Petraea volubilis. 2 Duranta Plumierc. 2 Psidiwm montanum. 3 Hugenia braziliensis. 1 Quercus, sp. 7 . jambos. 1 Sciadophyllum pentandrum. 1 Ficus macrophylla, 2 Sterculia platanifolia.. 1 Grewia caffra. 1 Thespesia populnea. 1 Hibiscus, sp. It is somewhat unfortunate that on this Block stand several trees such as the Litchi, Longaan and others which we could scarcely remove, the consequence being that it will not be so easy to make as good a job as it would have been, could every tree have been removed, still I hope that the result will be found to be a great improvement when the trees which are to be planted have had time to make a little growth. It has been decided to import a number of the plant labels alluded to in my last Report, and an indent will be sent as soon as time can be spared to make out a list of what is required. The labels that we shall procure will, in addition to the name and native country of the tree, have attached to it a smaller label with a number corresponding with the number of the plant in the ‘‘ Guide to the Trees and Shrubs”’ in the Gardens, and provision will be made for attaching in a similar manner a number to those trees which are not included in the Guide, a supplement to which will no doubt be prepared when found to be necessary. As the seats in the Gardens were found to be insufficient for the increased number of visitors 12 more have been added, each stands on two iron standards which are firmly fixed in the ground. These standards are strong and inexpensive, and were 9 imported at the time that the Jubilee Conservatory was erected ; each seat has two wrought iron stays supporting the back and seat. These seats are very inexpensive, and will last well; more can easily be added when required. Packets of seeds were received as follows :— PACKETS. Addison, Col. F., Natal.. : Agricultural Department, Zanzibar Botanic Gardens, British Guiana 6 Calcutta 5 Hong Kong us Kew ... i Maritzburg " Ootacamund ... bee N. Zealand. Churchill, KF. F., Natal.. v Colepepper, F., Durban Herb & Walle, Naples .. Jameson, Hon. R., Durban Laurie, Mrs., Natal = McGlashan, —, Cape Colony Schofield, Te M.L.A. , [xopo : Scientific Department, British Central Africa Smart, F. A., Durban ... 7 = Turner, T. W, Durban... Unknown, India w uo EON FWNRNNNrRN— & —— You EO a ea ep) 234: Seeds of indigenous species of plants have been sent to the following institutions, in all 509 packets .— Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta ; Ceylon. Botanic Gardens, Adelaide. Mi Bangalore. Bermuda. re Brisbane. es British Guiana. * Grenada. <3 Hong Kong. c. Hobart. Madras. Maritzburg. Melbourne. ‘ Old Calabar. 3 Ootacamund. Port Darwin, 10 Botanic Gardens, Saharunpur. ‘ Sierra Leone. aA Sydney. Trinidad. Agri- Horticultural Society, Calcutta. Also a parcel of 28 species of fruit tree and other seeds to Rhodesia. We have also sent to Dr. Thompson, of Gaziland, cuttings of 9 varieties of Manihot, and 2 varieties of sweet potato. We have received from Dr. Schénland, of Grahamstown, the following plants, one of each :— Ootyledon Coopert. Crassula lanuginosa. a rhombifolia. ss maculata. Mm gracilis. s hemisphaerica. Crassula peploides. ; Coopert. The following free grants have been made: — a) 8. dd, Addington Hospital 2 20 Botanic Gardens, Maritzburg... Boe Aen bile ute) Government House, Maritzburg 39° 1146 Loan of plants for Nazareth House Ball and Concert 5 5 0 Military Cemetery, Charlestown Eye O88 3 Fp i Maritzburg... OF TS10 OOM ONIES, PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. DIRECTOR ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, KEW. Report Agri-Horticultural Society of Lahore. Report on Tea cultivation in Assam, 1899. Sugar Cane Experiments in Leeward Islands. Seedling Cane crop of 1899 in Trinidad. Appendices to Kew Bulletin. COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE, WEST INDIES. Harmfulness of bush fires. West Indian Bulletin, Current Nos. General Treatment of Insect Pests. DIRECTOR AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT OF ZANZIBAR. Report for 1899. The “ Shamba”’ Journal of Agriculture. 11 SECRETARY FOR AGRICULTURE, U.S. AMERICA. Experiment Stations Record, Vol. XII., Nos. 3, 4, 7, 8, 9. Peach Leaf Curl, its nature and treatment, by N. B. Pierce. Stock poisoning plants of Montana, by V. K. Chestnut & E. V. Wilcox. REPORTS. Agricultural Experiment Station University of California. Agri-Horticultural of India. Current Nos. Botanic Gardens, Ceylon. ut Grenada. ? Maritzburg. Mt Straits Settlements. ns Trinidad. Botanic Gardens and Museums, Zurich, Botanical and Afforestation Department, Hong Kong. Conservator of Forests, Cape Colony. Provincial Crop Report, Nova Scotia. Secretary of Agriculture, Nova Scotia. ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS, CEYLON. Canna or Indian Shot, by H. F. Macmillan. Selected trees for shade, wind-belts, &c., by H. F. Mac- millan. Some caterpillar pests of the Tea plant, by E. E. Green. Some insects attacking trees. IMPERIAL BOTANIC GARDENS, ST. PETERSBURG. Acta Horti Petropolitana, Vol. XVI., Parts 1, 2. BULLETINS. Botanical Department, Jamaica, Current Nos. Botanical Department, Trinidad, Current Nos. MISCELLANEOUS. Glimpses of Tropical Agriculture, by EH. M. Wilcox mes Ls Author. Address of President Aenericdt eanciation sion advancement of Science ee a Proceedings Indiana oo ae of Science, 99 1898-99, i. ... Secretary. List of Plants cultivated in Egypt, by, (li. Sandars he Author. Catalogue of plants in Garden of T. '. Hanbury, La Mortola .. 12 PURCHASED. Supplement to Nicholson’s Dictionary of Gardening. Icones Plantarum, Vol. 27, Indian Gardening, Current Nos. Gardener’s Chronicle, Current Nos. Invte@o.—In the early days of the Colony, I think during the 60’s, there arrived in Natal from Java a gentleman named Van Prehn, who came with the intention of growing Indigo, and I understand that he brought with him seeds of the species of the plant which was used in Java for the purpose of extract- ing the pigment; this species was probably either Indigofera anil or I. tinctoria. Mr. Van Prehn entered irto partnership with late Mr. A. K. Murray, of Pinetown, and Indigo in small the quantities was grown and manufactured near that place; experiments were also made with some of our indigenous species of Indigofera, with the result that one species was found to be well adapted for the purpose. After a short time, how- ever, the manufacture was abandoned, and Mr. Van Prehn returned to Java, taking with him seeds of the Natal species which had been found to yield the pigment in payable quanti- ties. Since that time, so far as I am awate, nothing has been done in Natal to produce the drug commercially ; in small quantities, however, it has been manufactured by Dr. Addison, sen., and probably by some other persons also, but only as samples of what might be done. Many years ago I was in- clined to advocate the culture of this plant in the Colony, but was advised by a correspondent at Home, in whom I had confi- dence, not to do so, as he said that Indigo had already been manufactured artificially, and that it was only a question of time as to how soon it would put the real article quite out of the market. In the Report of Kew Gardens for 1880 an article appeared describing the manner in which the artificial Indigo was produced, and the article concludes thus: “ It is difficult to avoid the conclusion that artificial indigo will most seriously interfere with, even if it does not within very few years altogether displace the natural article.” Since that time artificial Indigo has been placed on the market and proves to be identical with the Indigo extracted from the cultivated plant, but the expense of producing it is so great, that it is now thought that so far as price is concerned it will not be able to supplant the naturally produced article. The growth of Indigo has, therefore, received an impetus that has led the planters to make enquiries as to the Natal plant, which is said to be much superior to the one formerly in use. Seed was obtained from Java, but in most if not in all cases 13 this seed proved to have in some way or other lost its germi- nating power ; enquiries were therefore made with a view of obtaining seed from Natal, and several letters were addressed tome on the matter. Hnquiries made in India showed that small shipments of the seeds had been obtained from Natal and sent to Java, but much reticence was shown on the subject. I was at first under the impression that the Natal plant was either J. stricta or I. tristis, both of these plants having been in former years pointed out to me as the plant that had been used by Van Prehn & Murray, but experiment showed that these species do not contain the pigment in large quantity. The plant that had been used by Dr. Addison, sen., was then pointed out to me by Colonel Addison, and this confirmed the conclusion to which I had previously come, viz., that the plant was the one known to the natives as um-Pegembetu, and I am now certain that this is the correct plant, since a packet of seed given to me by Mr. McGlashan, of East London, and which his son obtained from Holland, has been planted here and proves to be identical with the Natal plant, which I have identified as Indigofera grata, HK. Mey. I have sent dried specimens of the plant and seed obtained from it to India for comparison. That this is the correct plant I have now no doubt, and see no reason why Indigo should not in future be successfully grown in the Colony. I am aware that it has been said that the reason that Van Prehn & Murray failed to manufacture the pigment successfully was that the variations in temperature prevented the fermen- tation being properly carried out, but that this is a mistake is certain, as there can be little doubt that the slight fermentation required for the production of the article can be carried on without difficulty in the coast districts certainly, and probably in the midlands also, and I see no reason why Natal should not compete successfully with other countries in the production of this article ; some technical skill is certainly necessary. The Indigo industry in India is a very important one, and I hope that in the future large quantities of the pigment made from our indigenous plant will be manufactured for export, especially so, as it may be found useful as a rotation crop on many of our sugar estates. The plant grows well on the coast, and also at an elevation of at least 2,000 feet above sea level; it flowers in the autumn, and ripens its seeds in June and July. Specimens of the dried plant may be seen in the Colonial Herbarium, and a few living plants in the Gardens. Mancos.—In the Bulletin of the Botanical Department of Trinidad for July, 1900, a description was given of some varieties of Mango in cultivation there, and 1 noticed among those described one which is certainly not known in Natal, it 14 is called ‘“‘ Deux-Doux,” and the following short description is given of it .— ‘“‘' This is a pretty ttle Mango, and as its name indicates, peculiarly sweet. It is one of those Mangos which the child needs no teaching to devour, as it only needs to follow on the lines on which it obtained its first nutriment to consume it to the greatest advantage. It is one of those Mangos to cut which spoils it. It has a soft melting pulp which will pass freely through a small hole made in the skin.” From the outline figure given this fruit does not appear to be more than 2 to 3 inches in diameter. I wrote at once to the Director, with whom we exchange seeds, and he at once very kindly promised to send seeds of this and other varieties when obtainable. It would perhaps have been better to have obtained plants, but it is somewhat difficult at present to get Wardian cases from such a distance in good order, seeing that they would have to be transhipped in England, with the vesult — that much time would be lost in transit, and probably many of the plants would be dead on arrival; still, at some future time when the traffic is not so congested we may, if necessary, make the attempt. Myroaylon Pereirae.—In the same Bulletin it is stated that trees of this species have flowered in the Garden for several years We have one tree in our Garden which has borne seeds frequently, but not plentifully. The plant, however, is in a most unfavourable situation, the soil is miserably poor, and the tree too much crowded; the pods are one-seeded, and rather curiously shaped. It is from this tree that the drug called ‘“‘ Balsam of Peru” is obtained, this drug being quoted at 6s. 6d. per lb. The Director says in the Bulletin: “An alcoholic extract can be made from the pods which contains a large proportion of the Balsam.” WALKING-sTIcks, &c.—It has often occurred to me that there are many localities in the Colony which, though quite unsuitable for ordinary farm crops, might be utilised for the growth of suitable saplings for walking-sticks, umbrella and parasol handles, &c., and my attention has again been called to the matter by an article in the “ Shamba,” or Journal of Agriculture for Zanzibar, which article I take the lberty of quoting entire. It will, no doubt, surprise many to hear to what extent this trade has grown even so far back as 1890, in which year was published a work by Mr. J. R. Jackson, Curator of the Museums at Kew. He says :— 15 “There are no published returns showing the importation of raw material used in this trade, but from figures which we have been at some trouble to obtain, it would seem that of rattan canes alone imported during the year 1886, there were some 1,50() tons, of the estimated value of £30,000, while other canes imported from the Hast numbered 28,950,009, valued at £94,000 ; and to these may be added imports from other parts of the world, such as Brazil, Algeria, West Indies, France, &c., bringing up the gross total value of rough material to £189,000. Placing this against the value of the imports in 1850 of £1,600 it will be seen what progress has been made in this one trade alone, which deals almost exclusively with produce furnished by the vegetable kingdom.”’ A plant which I understand is much used for providing saplings is Hugenia pimenta, or “ Allspice” tree, this plant grows well in the Gardens, and has borne seeds for many years past, and it is quite lhkely that some of our indigenous plants might be found suitable for this purpose, such for instance as one of the Grewias, whose stems are in traverse section cruciform, and no doubt others will be found equally or still more suitable. The following extract from the ‘“‘Shamba”’ will be useful to any person who may wish to take up this matter. Messrs. Howell & Co., Old Street, London, have kindly supplied us with the following points to be observed in collect- ing walking sticks :— Lenetu.—The total length should not be less than 42 inches, end to end, but if possible they should be 48 inches. Size.—The best sizes are of the diameter of § to 1 inch, measured about mid-way, they should not be larger than 17 inch in diameter. Form.—It is indispensable that the diameter should eradually diminish from the root or handle to the point, so that the stick is not top heavy. Hanpie.—lIt is always better, when possible, to send sticks with some kind of handle; if the plant should be pnlled up, the root should be left quite rough and untrimmed; if a branch be cut off, a part of the parent branch should be left on to form a knob or crutch handle. Sticks wirHour HanpLes.—Sticks without handles can be used, especially if they are nicely grown, and have any peculiarity of structure or colour, but if there is any handle, however small, it should not be cut off. Young saplings of the different kinds of Palms, Bamboos, &c., &c., should always have the root left on. | 16 Suort Hanpies.—Occasionally, the form of the root or handle part is attractive, while the stick itself is weak and defective; in such cases the handles only should be sent, and they should measure from 15 to 18 inches in length. SEND ONLY SPECIMENS IN THE FIRST INSTANCE.—In sending specimens of new sticks, it is better to send only small quan- tities, say, one or two dozen at most of each kind, then, if ap- proved, further quantities can be asked for. ALL KINDS OF Woop.—Specimens of anything remarkable for fo1m or colour, whether in the roots or the stems, of woody, herbaceous or reedy structures should be sent, as sometimes the most unlikely things are found to possess value, for use either as umbrella handles, or walking sticks. Deraits.— Details as to quantity to be procured, prices, &c., should be sent if possible.” Invigenous Mepicinat PLants.—So much has been written and said about the value of some of the species of Monsonia as remedies in dysentery that it scarcely seems worth while for one who has no medical knowledge to add more to it, still I venture here to give an extract from a. letter which I received from Dr. Hlhot who was stationed at the Imperial Base Hospital at Deelfontein. I met this gentleman in the Gardens, and after some conversation, he said that as they had many cases of dysentery, he would like to try the Monsonia, of which he had heard, I therefore told him that he would be able to obtain some of the tincture prepared from the plant supplied by me from Mr. Elgie, of Durban. Dr. Elliot’s chief objection to this remedy appeared to be that the dose of the tincture was larger than he cared to administer in serious cases, but he would like to try an infusion instead of a tincture, if he could obtain some of the dried plant, fortunately we had a little of it in stock and supplied him with a small quantity, and on February 17th he wrote me as follows :— ‘“‘T have waited until now before reporting on the Monsonia biflora, as I was anxious to give it a fair trial. We have used it in two forms :— 1. Tincture which I obtained from Mr. Elgie, of Durban. 2. Fresh infusion made from the plant which you so kindly sent tome Recently I obtained from Mr. Elgie a further supply of the tincture. In a fair number of cases the drug has answered extremely well, in a few cases the benefit has been less striking, and in a certain number it has apparently been without effect. It may be that in these cases insufficient dosage M7 or some other unknown cause accounts for the failure. But the same thing has to be said for all the so-called dysentery remedies. On the whole, I consider the drug as of distinct value in the treatment of dysentery, and an addition to our list of remedies which I should not care to be without. For some reason the second supply of the tincture has not done so well, but whether the fact lies in the plant, the method of prepara- tion or the nature of the cases, | am not yet in a position to state. The dysentery cases admitted during the last few weeks have certainly been less acute than formerly, and it may be that the drug is more valuable in the acute stage. We shall continue the use of the preparation and I hope to be able to send you a further report.” The failure of the second supply of the tincture may per- haps be explained by the fact, that Monsonia biflora from which the first lot of tincture was made is an up-country plant, and the supply that I had of it was gathered near Charlestown, from which district I was shut out in consequence of the war, I therefore obtained a small quantity of M. ovata var biflora which is found in the coast districts, and from this plant the second lot of the tincture was made. On receipt of Dr. Hlhot’s letter I directed that a small quantity of M. biflora that we had growing in the Gardens and which by that time was ready for gathering should be dried and sent to him, and on March 17th he wrote as under :— ‘““We have not at present in Hospital any suitable cases for the drug, and have stopped taking in cases preparatory to handing over to the R.A.M.C. I shall therefore hand over the plant to my successor, and ask him to report to you when he has had opportunity of further trial. We leave for Home in ten days or thereby.” I have heard nothing from the Hospital since then, and therefore do not know the result of the trial of the second lot - of the plant sent. At the request of Mr. Pearson, the representative in South Africa of Messrs. Burroughs, Wellcome & Co., of London, I have sent to that firm a box of dried plants which are supposed to have medicinal properties, the plants sent are Blepharis hirtinervia, which I obtained near Ladysmith, and Blepharis sp, from beyond Greytown ; Blepharis capensis which is the only species of the genus previously reported on is not so far as lam aware found in Natal, though one of those which I have sent and of which | am not able to give the specific name apparently comes very near to it, some of these plants are used by the 18 natives in the Cape Colony, and are supposed to be useful in cases of blood poisoning. The other plant sent is Ipomoea congesta, and is known to the natives as i-Jalapa, and is used by them as an aperient. Erythroaylon coca.—I note in the “‘ Pharmaceutical Journal” of June 3rd that 74 bales of the dried leaves of this plant were bought in nominally at 1s. 4d. per lb. It is worth noting that this shrub not only grows well in the coast districts of Natal, but also that a small parcel of the dried leaves which I sent Home in 1885 were thus reported on (see my Annual Report for that year). ‘ Leaves picked from our plant in July were sent to Messrs. Christy & Co., of London, and have been tested by Mr. Dillworth Howard and found to contain 0.29 per cent. of akaloid, and Mr. Howard remarks “they are a very nice sample and test well.” There is not a very large demand for this drug, but as the plant from which the leaves were taken was only put out in 1883, it is evident that it is a plant that soon yields a crop, and as no machinery is required in the preparation of the leaves for market it might be worth a trial by small farmers on the coast, and at anything like the price quoted should pay well. Paspalum dilatatum.—In the beginning of April I visited Newcastle and brought back with me a number of plants of this grass, which has been so highly extolled as a fodder grass. These plants grew well, and though their growth has now ceased for the season the leaves are still green and succulent ; whether this is due to the unusually wet autumn or not it would be as yet premature to say, but if it is found to remain green through our ordinary winters it may prove to be a valu- able plant for coast as well as for up-country planting. In favourable seasons it is said to be of quick growth and “ to have extraordinary drought resistance.”’ Cichorium intybus, “ Chicory.”—A trial was made with this plant, a few roots were received from Mr. Ducasse, who appears to have grown it successfully ; seeds were also received from the late Mr. G. H. Wilkinson and Mr. T. W. Turner of Durban ; the result of the experiment has not been very en- couraging, as the climate seems to be too forcing for it. A further trial will be made, and the yield more carefully noted, but I am still inclined to think that the plant is not suited to the coast districts. As this year may fairly be considered to be the Jubilee year of the Natal Botanic Gardens, it has occurred to me that a few notes as to their earlier history may be interesting, 19 especially to those who took an active part in their establish- ment and are still with us. To the later arrivals it will serve to show the difficulties which attended the formation of the Society and the establishment of the Gardens. It will be noticed that the Society was commenced as the Natal Agricul- tural and Horticultural Society, and so remained for many years, until a separate Society was formed called the Durban Horticultural Society, but of this 1 have no record. This Society has now ceased to exist, and there are so many difficul- ties attendant on the organisation and working of a Flower Show in a town like Durban, where the large majority of the cultivators of flowers such as would be suitable for exhibition purposes reside in the suburbs, that the attempt to hold such Shows, at any rate as annual fixtures, has very reluctantly been abandoned. In compiling this short account, the only information that I have been able to obtain is contained in three Minute books of the Committee, a Visiting Committee book kept at the Gardens, together with a few Reports of Mr. Keit and the late Mr. Sanderson. Mr. Windham, the Government Inspector, occasionally visited the Gardens, but his Reports in their entirety have apparently not been preserved. Some of these books are in a rather dilapidated condition, and no Curators Reports are available before the year 1865, after which time Mr. McKen kept a Memo. book, from which I have been able to ascertain the names of plants introduced, and also lists of seeds received, but it is now quite impossible to say whether these seeds or any of them were successfully reared or not, and as no record was kept of the part of the Garden in which the plants were placed it is equally impossible to say, except in a very few cases, whether the plants now in the Gardens were those originally imported or not. On April 18th, 1848, a meeting was held for the purpose of forming an Agricultural Society, and the following were elected as the Committee :—President, EK. Morewood ; Vice- Presidents, P. J. Jung and Hyp. Jargal; Treasurer, J. A. Ross ; Secretary, J. Turner; Committee, G. C. Cato, R. Clarence, J. Proudfoot, J. M. Cockburn. At a meeting held on June 13th, it was decided to apply to the Lieut.-Governor for a piece of land at Umlaas “ for the purpose of forming an experimental garden.” On the 5th of August it was reported that no land at Umlaas was available, and it was then decided to apply for a site on the Berea “on the banks of the Umgeni,” and a favourable reply having been received from the Lieut.-Governor, another meeting was held in December of the same year, when it was decided that a Show should be held during 1850, and 20 prizes be offered for produce. On December 15th, 1849, Dr. Johnstone was appointed the first Curator of the Gardens. On August 9th, 1850, the first exhibition of Colonial produce was held, and the following prizes were awarded :—Cotton, Mr. aoe) £5; Potatoes, Mr. Clarence, 10s.; Oats, Mr. Brooker, £1; Wheat, Mr. Tigre eae £2; Renme! Mr. Beningfield, £1; Horse Hoe, Mr. Kinghurst, £2; Yams, Mr. Morewood, 10s. ; introducer of the greatest number of useful plants, Mr. More- wood, £3; excellence and variety of vegetables and fruits, Mr. Beningfield, £5. Ata meeting of Committee held on October 14th, 1850, an election of officers took place, and the following well-known names were, with some others, added to the Com- mittee:—P. A. R. Otto, S. Beningfield, — Moreland, J. R. Goodricke, — Russom, — Dacomb, — Pickering, — Hastwood, — Pinsent, and at a subsequent meeting the name of Mr. J. G. Fielden was added to the list, and Dr. Johnstone resigned his position as Curator, his remuneration having apparently been as stated in the Minute Book, “That in lieu of salary and to cover all expenses Dr. Johnstone be allowed to sell the surplus produce of the Gardens over and above what may be required as stock.” Towards the end of 1850 Mr. M. J. McKen arrived in the Colony, bringing with him a number of plants from Kew Gardens, which were handed over to the Society, amongst them were the following: —Mango, Allspice, Assam Tea, Gamboge, Black Pepper, Quassia, Ginger, Cocoa Plum, Wampee, Jack, Cinnamon, Coffee, Longaan, Camphor, Papaw, Cocoa, Blood and Mandarin Orange, Ipecacuanha, Guava, Rose Apple, Paraguay Tea, China Guava, Arrowroot, Cinchona and others, this being so far as Lam aware the first introduction of these plants into the Colony. At a meeting held on June 11th, 1851, Mr. McKen was appointed Curator of the Gardens, which, how- ever, at that time had no existence, the plants brought by Mr. McKen being in the charge of Mr. S. F. Beningfield, but nego- tiations were being carried on with the view of obtaining the site on which the Gardens now stand. At another meeting held the same month, it was resolved that Mr. McKen be instructed “to obtain the services of four Huropean labourers at 3s. 6d. per day for one month,” so that clearing the land was about to commence, but there is no record up to this date of the Lieut.-Governor having granted the land. In July, 1851, the following new names appear on the Committee: :—Captain Smerdon, A. F. Dawson, A. Jacques, W. Wood, J. Sanderson, EK. B. Herbert, W. Sanderson, H. J. Barrett, -— W. Evans, L. Wray, and H. Searle. Ata meeting held in August, 1852, the following resolution appears:—“ That Mr, McKen be allowed 21 £2 10s. for carriage of manure from the village to the grounds,” and at a later meeting in the same year it was resolved :— “That Mr. McKen be authorised to receive from Mr. Kvans the sum of £10. kindly lent by him, to be repaid out of the first subscriptions received.” By this time the land (25 acres) had been conditionally granted, and at the request of the Com- mittee another 25 acres had been added to it, making 50 acres, which is the present area of the Gardens. In August, 1852, a ploughing match was held on the flat below the Gardens, near where the present Nursery is situated, and about the same time the annual dinner was held at the Royal Hotel, which was, I think, then kept by the late Mr. Macdonald. At the dinner Mr. McKen gave an account of the manu- facture of the first sugar in the Colony at the EHstate of Mr. Morewood, Compensation Flat, but no record of either of these events appears in the Minute Book, merely the resolu- tions that these functions should be held, and as the writer was present at both he can certify that they actually did take place. The ploughing match was won by Mr. Andersen, who afterwards settled near Ladysmith and died there a few years “ago. At the Annual Meeting, August llth, 1852, the follow- ing were elected Committeemen :—Messrs. G. Gain, X. R. Breede, Churchill, King, Snell, Spearman, Peel, Ashton, Adams, Milner, Miller, de Terrason, Brooks, Forster, S. Platt, Kckroyd, Jeffels; and as Maritzburg members Messis. Dick- son, Henderson, Archbell, Cope, and Moreland. In October it wss announced that the Curator had supply of excellent Tobacco seed, and that person wishing to grow this crop could obtain seed on application, and also that a quantity of it had been forwarded to Maritzburg for distribution there. On the 9th of July, 1853, it was reported that a sum of £50 had been placed on the Estimates as an Annual Grant to the Society, and at the same meeting Mr. McKen’s resignation was accepted, he having received an appointment as manager on the Sugar Hstate of Messrs. Chiappini at Tongaat. On August 5th, Mr. Alex Smith was appointed Curator in succession to Mr. McKen at a salary of £50 per annum. At the next meeting on August 15th, it was proposed by Mr. Proudfoot and seconded by Mr. Goodricke, “That a sum not exceeding £3 sterling should be devoted to the purchase of a house on the Flat for the Curator.” On August 22nd the following new names appear on the list of Committeemen :—President, Dr. Stanger ; Messrs. Grundy, R. Acutt, J. A. Jackson, W. A. Middleton, Nimmo, McArthur, Palmer, Brickhill, and Currie. On September 2ud, a visiting Committee was appointed, and at irregular intervals these gentlemen visited the Gardens, and left records of their visits in a book provided for that purpose, but which is now in 22 a somewhat delapidated state, some of these ‘notes are worth quoting. The first entry is signed by Messrs. H. J. Barrett, Hyp. Jargal, W. Dacomb, and Jas. G. Grundy, and they re- commend the Curator to “attach some bush fencing to the gate to exclude cattle” and direct that he should be paid 16s. for food for two kafirs, and 10s. for repairs to his dwelling house. On September 3rd, 1853, the Curator is anthorised to employ four kafirs at 12s. each per month, they finding their own food. In 1854 they report the following donations from different persons:—1l Garden Trowel, 1 set of iron wedges, 1 knife stone, 1 bottle ink for labels (as sample), 4 loads of manure, and seeds of skinless oats, Scotch Fir, and Mistletoe. The last two entries in the book are, I think, worth copying entire, they are as follows :—August 2lst, 1859. Visited the Gardens in company with my walking-stick, and nearly stuck in the mud, Curator came to meet me; consulted him about proceeding, took his advice and splashed through it, arrived at the Gardens and inspected some dinner at 1 p.m. (Signed) W. A. Fraser. The last entry in the book is dated December 22nd, 1860. Visited the Gardens in company with my friend, Mr. Wood- © cock, found them in very good order, and not only met witha hearty welcome from the Curator, but found them much im- proved by Mr. McKen’s presence there, only we would wish that the Curator would be provided with a filter, as the water is awfully muddy, and full of tadpoles. (Signed) A. HE. Titren. 1854. The Hon. G. Rutherford was elected President and the Curator’s salary raised to £60 per annum, and the following resolution passed: “ That the Natal Agricultural and Horti- cultural Society do hereby wish to record their sense of the loss sustained by the Colony generally and by this Society in particular in the untimely and unexpected death of their late President, Dr. William Stanger, whose scientific acquirements and energy directed as they were by intelligence, consti- tuted him one of the most valuable members of our little community.” In June, Mr. A. Smith resigned his position as Curator, the resignation to take effect in August, and at the next meeting Mr. Plant was elected to his place at the same salary. On August 4th, the Annual Meeting was held, and the following names appear on the Committee: W. H. Savory, G. H. Wirsing, R. Raw, T. Dand, A. Moore, Pulleyn, and W. G. Harvey, and at the same meeting the thanks of the Society were offered to His Honour the Lieut.-Governor for the intro- duction into the Estimates of an Annual Grant of £50. On 23 the 14th of the same month the following resolution was carried unanimously :—‘‘ That the custom of charging half price only for produce sold to subscribers be discontinued, and that in future the full value be charged.” In November, the Hon. Secretary reported that he had received a letter from D. H. Moodie, Esq., accompanying Title Deeds of Grant to the Society of 50 acres of land. 1855. At the first meeting held in January, the accounts re- lating to the Show and Luncheon were presented showing a balance in favour of the Society of £5 1s. 6d., but no account of either Show or Luncheon appears on the Minutes. At the Annual Meeting in August, two new names appear on the Committee, they are G. Potter and J. R. Saunders, and at the next meeting the Curator’s salary was raised to £75. 1856. On the Ist of January a Show was held, but the only record of it in the Minutes is the resolution as to prizes, and at the next meeting a resolution that the prizes with the addition of one for silk be paid, and it was reported that there was a deficiency of £2 4s. 2d. besides the expense of printing tickets. In July, Mr. Plant having resigned his situation as Curator, Mr. Jas. Weir was appointed in his stead at a salary of £70 perannum. At the Annual Meeting held on Ist of August, the following new names appear on the list of Committeemen : Messrs. Robert Baker, Arthur Clarence, Geo. Robinson, J. Cullingworth, and H. Cope was elected President. 1857. In January, a Show was held in Mr. W. Hartley’s store, which resulted in a profit of about £31 12s. 10d., and during the same year the Government Grant was increased from £50 to £100. In May, it was resolved that the Curator be fur- nished with a load of Marine grass as a remedy for the white ants, and in July Mr. Weir resigned, and Mr. R. Rogers was appointed Curator temporarily, the late Curator reported that. the application of Marine grass to destroy white ants was not found to be effective. At the Annual Meeting in August Mr. R. Baker was elected President, and the following new names appear on the Committee, Messrs. W. Hartley, J. L. Crompton, H. J. Knox, H. E. Stainbank, and Rev. G. Y. Jeffries. 1858. In January, another Exhibition was held in the Store of Messrs. Evans & Churchill which yielded a profit of about £50. At the Annual Meeting in August, Mr. R. Vause was elected 24, Hon. Secretary, and Messrs. Rowse, W. H. Acutt, W. Brown, and W. Crowder joined the Committee, and at a later meeting Dr. Holland and 8S. F. Beningfield were added, and the Presi- dent and Vice-President having left the town, Messrs. Lamport and Kahts were elected to office. 1859. In January, entertainments were held on at least two evenings in a Store belonging to Mr. Winder which appear to have been very successful. For some unstated reason the Curator received notice, and Mr. De La Chaumette was appointed on three months’ trial, but in May he resigned his post, and Mr. A. Moore was appointed Curator at a salary of £150 per annum, he to find the requisite labour, and at the same meeting it was agreed that Mr. Sanderson who was then in England be requested to order three silver Cups of a value in all not exceed- ing £40 to be offered as prizes for the best samples of Sugar, Coffee, and other Natal produce, the Sugar Cup to be of the first value. 1860. At a meeting held in February, Mr. J. Sanderson was re-elected President, and Mr. Vause Hon. Secretary ; and at the annual meeting held in August, Messrs. Coqui, Priestley, Tatham, Gelder, Bowlby, Leslie, and Winder joined the Com- mittee, and in December Mr. M. J. McKen was for the second time appointed Curator. 1861. In January the usual Show and Dinner were held, and the winners of the three silver cups were—Mr. F. Ferreira, sugar ; A. McArthur, coffee; J. A. Colenbrander, fer exportable pro- duce (Tobacco) ; and Hon. Mention Cards were awarded for other exhibits. The annual meeting was held in August, and we have a fresh accession of new names on the Committee :— Messrs. Barnes, Mason, Savory, Lyall, Escombe, Buist, G. Smith, P. Henwood, and Fisher, and at a subsequent meeting the name of Mr. Arnold Taylor was added. In December it was reported that Mr. Poynton had contracted to erect a build- ing in the Gardens 40 x 24 feet for thea sum of £160, and to have it completed in time for the Show, and the Show was held in it on the 20th of the same month, when the following prizes were awarded :—Cotton, £10, A. Coqui; sugar, £8, H. P. Lamport; coffee, £5, W. Lister; arrowroot, £5, A. F. Greig ; vegetables, £3 3s., J. P. Voysey. 25 1862. At the annual meeting in September two new names appear on the Committee, viz., Messrs. Fradd and Leslie, and at the same meeting it was resolved to apply to the Corporation for pecuniary assistance, and at a meeting held in December it was reported that the Corporation had made a grant for that year of £30. 1863. At the Show held in January the following first prizes were awarded :—Sugar, A. B. Kennedy; coffee, A. McArthur ; cotton, Sea Island, no competition; upland, T. Reynolds; vegetables, — Webb; fruit, Botanic Gardens At the annual meeting new names again appear on the list of committeemen as follows :—A l!arker, EH. R. Dixon, H. W. Currie, B. Hamp- son, W. Cowey, B. W. Greenacre. 1864. At the Show in January the following first prizes were awarded :—Sugar, A. McKenzie; coffee, McArthur. Neither cotton nor tobacco were shown. During the year the Govern- ment Grant was raised to £250. At the annual meeting another change takes place in the composition of the Com- mittee by the addition to the list of Messrs. H. Lochee-Bayne, J. Lester, and C. Behrens. In November a letter was received from Mr. E. Chiappini, of Capetown, asking for contributions to a Show to be held at the Paarl in January, and at the next meeting the following is recorded on the minutes :—Read letter from Mr. Chiappini, addressed to Mr. Sanderson, advising shipment of 10 half-aums of wine, invoice £48 12s. 6d.; and the Secretary having reported that tenders having been sent in of produce in terms of the advertisement, it was resolved: That the Secretary be requested to make the necessary purchases and arrangement, requesting the President’s good services in the way of receiving, storing, repacking, &c.; also that Messrs. Beningfield & Son be requested under the cirenmstances kindly to undertake the sale of Mr. Chiappini’s wine free of charge. At the next meeting the Hon. Secretary reported that Messrs. Beningfield & Son had sold the wine received from Mr. Chiap- pini on account of produce for the Paarl Show, net proceeds being £51 8s. 8d., and that he was making the best selection he could for shipment by the Athens. 1865. At the annual Show held in January the following first prizes were awarded :—Vegetables, T. Davenport ; fruit, T. Davenport; sugar, 8S. Platt; fibre, Colin Hunter, 26 During the year the following plants were received in exchange:—Dalbergia Sissoo, Poinciana regia, Cassia fistula, Divi-Divi, Michelia champaca, Tamarind, Melia azadirachta, Araucaria braziliensis, and Bidwillii; Mag- nolia purpurea, Banana, 8 varieties; Apples, 11 varieties ; Litchi, Paraguay Tea, Caesalpinia sappan, Anacardium occi- dentale, Ipomoea jalapa, Passiflora quadrangularis, and a number of other plants of lesser value, also Cochineal insects. 1866. During this year the following amongst other plants were introduced :—Cocculus palmatus, Piper nigrum, Ravenala madagascariensis, Yucca gloriosa, Averrhoa carambola ; Cur- cuma, 4 species or varieties; Copaifera officinalis, Bambusa Fortunei, Cupressus, 4 species; Cacti, 17 species; Dasylirion acrotrichum, Bixa orellena, Cookia punctata, Salisburia adian- tifolia, Lagunaria Pattersoni, Lagerstroemia alba, Catha edulis, Flacourtia Ramontchi, Syzigium jambolana, Achras sapota,. Genipa americana, Quercus filicifolia, and pedunculata; Theo- phrasta imperialis, Amona cherimolia, Ficus macrophylla, Castanospermum australe. In this year also the ‘“ Giant Encephalartos,” 15 feet high, which now stands in front of the Jubilee Conservatory was brought from Krantzkloof. 1867. The Annual Meeting was held in January, and the follow- ing new names are added to the list of Committeemen: EK. Button, Rev. J. Buchanan, R. Jameson. Later on in the year the Curator visited Mauritius and brought back with him a number of plants including the foliowing :—Croton tiglium, Messua ferrea, Dracaena draco, Spondias dulcis, Durion Zebe- thinus, Barringtonia speciosa, Sandoricum indicum, Cerbera Tanghin, Bassia longifolia, Artocarpus incisa, Hymenaea cour- baril, Butea superba, Averrhoa bilimbi, Panax quinquefolium, &c., dc. 1868. The Curator in his report for this year enumerates the following plants as having been introduced :—Zingiber Zerum- bet, Kaempferia rotunda, Alpinia galanga, Jatropha curcas, Piper cubeba, Canella alba, Myrospermum peruiferum, Rheum palmatum, Convolvulus scammonia, Exogonium purga, Cycas circinalis, Physostigma venenosum, Chrysophyllum cainito, Diospyros ebeneum, Caryota urens. At the election of officers for the year no new names appear on the list, Mr. J. Sanderson still remaining President. 27 1869. At the Annual Meeting, Mr. Sanderson was again elected President and Rev. J. Buchanan Vice-President, and no new names appear on the list. During this year the following plants were introduced that were new to the Garden :—Peti- veria alliacea, Cedrela odorata, Phoenix sylvestris, Couroupita guianensis, Scindapsis decursivus, Smilax officinalis, Quercus aegilops, Brachychiton acerifolium, B. populneum. From the Curator’s Report it appears that a large number of plants of Boehmeria nivea (China grass) ‘as many as would plant 10 to 15 acres of land” were reared, but it does not appear that there were any applications for them. 1870. At the request of the Lieut.-Governor, Messrs. Rutherford and H. C. Shepstone were placed on the Committee as Govern- ment members, and Mr. A. S. Windham was appointed as Government Inspector of the Gardens. Mr. Sanderson was again elected President, and Messrs. T. R. Haddon and J. S. Steel joined the Committee. In the early part of the year a large case of fruit trees suited for the Upper districts arrived and contained as under :— Apples, 64 varieties. Chestnuts, 5 varieties. Cherries, 38 nd Pears, 64 Nectarines 12 A Figs, 9 - Peaches, 27 - Grape vines, 100 varieties. Apricots, 27 “ Plums, 44 varieties. “The whole of these have been transmitted to the Hon. Th. Shepstone, C.M.G., who has kindly undertaken the care and propagation of them for distribution The original plants will remain the property of the Gardens.”’ A large number of these plants were reared, and many years afterwards I saw them flourishing in the Gardens of the late Sir Theophilus Shepstone, amongst them being the one popularly, but incorrectly known locally as the ‘“ Catawba ”’ grape vine. It does not appear that the Society ever made any claim to these trees, noram I aware to what extent they were distributed. One thousand Grape vine cuttings were also introduced from the Cape Colony, and distributed between Maritzburg, Durban and Victoria Counties. Amongst the plants of economic value introduced during the year were the following :—Spondias pleiogyne, Pistachia vera, Cupressus excelsa, and many others of lesser importance. 28 1871. For this year the Minute Book is a blank, except for the record of a meeting of the Committee in December for the pur- pose of passing accounts. Hight pages are left blank, and have never been filled in. The Curator reports that Mr. Shepstone informs him as to the fruit trees in his charge. “The result is a great variety of fruit trees successfully introduced into the Colony, and as I suppose correctly named.” Out of those sup- plied 146 seem to have been reared. During the year the following plants were introduced:—Garcinia mangostana, Spondias dulcis, Ficus aspera, Juglans regia; from Kew Gar- dens a number of Grape vines, and from the Botanic Gardens, Mauritius, 22 kinds of sugar cane. 1872. Mr. Sanderson was again elected President, and Mr. Jame- son Secretary. In April the Curator, Mr. McKen, died, and _ Mr. Ridsdale was placed temporarily in charge of the Gardens. In May 96 varieties of Sugar Cane arrived from Mauritius, and were placed in charge of Mr. Clarence. It was decided to leave the selection of a Curator and a Gardener to the Director of Kew Gardens. In December Mr. Keit arrived, and at once took up the duties of the Curatorship. 1873. At the annual meeting Mr. Sanderson was again elected President, and the names of Messrs. T. J. Hill, J. Brickhill, and W.R. Parker appear as Committeemen. The following amongst others are reported as recent additions to the collec- tion :—Argania sideroxylon, Capparis spinosa, Dipteryx odorata, Ficus syringaefoha, Lecythis sp., Lagunaria Patersoni, Musa textilis, Macadamia ternifolia, Piper nigrum, Sterculia hetero- phylla. 1874. Mr. Sanderson was again elected President, and no new names appear on the list of Committeemen. Mr. Clarence reports that the 96 varieties of Sugar Cane arrived in very bad order, and that only 6 of the varieties survived. Mr. C. Barter reports that the plant of Cinchona had been destroyed “ by irruption of cattle,” and Mr. Pistorius that the plant that he had received was about 6 feet high, but had been planted in an unsuitable situation, and that plants which he had reared from seed and given to Messrs. R. Topham and W. Todd had been killed by frost. 29 1875. Mr. Sanderson still remains President, and Mr. W. Hartley joined the Committee. The Curator, Mr. Keit, in his Report enumerates about 670 plants in the Gardens, many of them are still there, but a large number have disappeared. 1876. For this year Mr. H. V. Ellis acts as Hon. Secretary, and the Committee appear only to have held one meeting, viz., on February 9th. During this year the Curator appears for the first time to have had the assistance of a Huropean gardener, and he reports the introduction of 10 species of Palm, 6 of which are still in the Garden, a species of Coffee, which is now not here, and about 20 ornamental! trees or shrubs. 1877. I have after this time no Minute Book of the Committee to refer to, but note that Mr. J. Sanderson still remains President. The year appears to have been very dry, and the Curator re- ports the loss of several trees, and also that 35 species of trees and shrubs have been added to the collection, only 11 of these are now in the Garden. Two cases of Assam Tea were received from Kew Gardens, but very few of the plants were saved. 1878. Mr. Sanderson still remains President, and the Curator reports the loss of many plants on account of the drought. The additions to the collection number about 26, only 6 of which remain in the Gardens at the present time. 1879. Mr. J. Sanderson still President. The Curator reports that the Huropean gardener joined the Volunteer force on active service, and he had not been able to obtain a person to fill his place. The Liberian Coffee, he states, is not a success. The “ Ceara” rubber tree (Manihot Glaziovii) has grown well, but the Hevea and another rubber tree did not survive the winter. Of the Prickly Comfrey which was under trial, he says that “he hears but few favourable reports,” and that plants of Trachylobium Hornemannianum had been reared from seed. This tree yields the Gum Copal of commerce, and is now flourishing in the Gardens. He also reports that in May he obtained a Kuropean assistant, 30 © After this date I have no other Reports or Minutes to refer to except the Annual Reports written by myself, but it is re- corded that at the end of 1881 there existed “a condition of depression which threatened the very existence of the Associa- tion.” Meetings were held, and a Committee appointed, con- sisting of Messrs. Escombe, Greenacre, Randles, Aiken, Brick- hill, Stainbank and Vause. Mr. Keit resigned his position, and Mr. J. Medley Wood was appointed his successor, entering on his duties on March Ist, 1882. Since that time Annual Reports have been regularly issued, and I leave the further history of the Gardens for some future writer. O In conclusion I have only to say that Mr. Blunden has left us, and gone to England on private business, and it will there- fore be necessary to engage another gardener as soon as a suit- able man can be obtained. The remainder of the Kuropean staff are still with us. To Mr. Wylie, the head gardener, under whose efficient superintendence the whole work of Nur- sery and Garden is carried on my hearty thanks are due, and I would again tender my thanks to the Committee for their valuable assistance and support in all matters pertaining to the working of the Gardens. I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, J. 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Si KEE During the time that has elapsed since the publication of my last report, the specimens in the Herbarium have been in- creased from 26,040 to 26,758, of which 8817 are South African and 17,941 foreign, and there are some on hand not included in this number which are not yet mounted, and will therefore be included in next year's report. Referring to my last report in which complaint is made of the very insufficient accomoda- tion in the building now in use as the Herbarium, and also to the fear of the destruction of the property by fire, I am now pleased to say that an amount of £1,600 has been placed on the Estimates and passed for a new and better building which will be commenced as soon as possible. I therefore hope that my next report will be written in a more commodious building, and under more favourable circumstances. Dried and named specimens of our flora have been sent away as follows :— H. Bolus, F.L.8., Capetown re aoe Betty te, H. HK. Galpin, F.L8., Queenstown says ee panes! Field Columbian Museum, Chicago a0 me LOO Philadelphia Museum _... esau OA Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, eaceralsane pean aloes Government Her ‘barium, Capetown a bet LO British Museum, Lea a Ser Se Od Royal Botanic Gar dens, H dinbur gh ae seo ah CO Botanic Gardens, Syduey, N.S. Wales ... Ene ir Colonial Mccain Haarlem de Sep eM A) Imperial Botanic Gardens, St. Petersburg ee EU Prof. J. Fowler, Queen’s University, Canada ... 88 Biltmore Herbarium, Biltmore, U.S. America ,., 100 Geological Survey of Canada ... + an UD Prof. Palacky, Austro-Hungary ... oes tone OU 1546 . 4 Specimens have been received from the following persons and Institutions :— Botanic Gardens, Sydney, N.S. Wales .... .... 239 Philadelphia Museum _... ua = Bes PAILS) G. G. Lloyd, Lloyd Museum, anne. JERS America (Fungi)... bie Nas 6 Prop. Palacky, Austro- -Hungary .. 1 eR Sy Botanic Gardens, Saharunpur, India. eee we) 599 Specimens of indigenous plants to the number of more than 300 have been named for applicants, and I again take the opportunity of saying that I shall always be pleased to name any native plants that may be sent to me for that purpose, provided that the specimens are sufficiently complete, and pro- perly dried, directions for preparing them will be sent on ap- plication, and parcels of specimens marked O.H.M.S. and addressed to the Curator, Colonial Herbarium, Berea, Durban, will pass free through the post, or printed direction labels will be sent on application. In consequence of the press of other work, and of military restrictions, very little collecting has been done, except in the coast districts, but I hope that in the coming season that I shall be able again to visit the higher parts of the Colony, obtain fresh specimens for the Herbarium, and increase our stock of duplicates for exchange. The 2nd Part of Vol. 3, “ Natal Plants,” was published in May, and the 3rd Part of the same Vol. is now in course of preparation, but it has been much interfered with by other work. It will, however, be pushed on as quickly as possible. It is somewhat unfortunate that so large a number of the plants described and figured in this work are coast and midland plants only, but in consequence of the war this could not be avoided, as it is better to figure the plants from freshly gathered speci- mens than from dried ones. I hope that next spring I shall be able to take in hand a larger number of upland plants, espe- cially such as are of interest. Some time agu I commenced a List of the indigenous plants of the Colony with Keys to the Orders and Genera, and a somewhat rough indication of the altitude above the sea where the plants were to be found. This work [ had hoped to have completed early in the present year, but I have been kept from it by other necessary work, still I hope to complete it before the issue of my next Annual Report. 5 During the present Session of the Legislative Assembly it has been proposed to include in the “ Xanthiwm spinosum Law ” the closely allied Xanthium strumarium, which, during the last few years has increased in the Colony very considerably, found its way to the upper districts, and appears likely to be as great a pest as X. spinosum. In my Report for 1899 I alluded to this plant, and gave extracts with information as to its alleged poisonous properties, and showing what is thought of it in New South Wales, I am, therefore, pleased to see that it is to be included in the Law, Since it has become known that this was intended I have been applied to by several persons asking whether other noxious weeds could not be included in the same Law, and I therefore give a list of some of those which bear “burrs ’’ more or less injurious to wool, but to include these in the Law would, I fear, be of no real service, but have the effect of making the Law more. unworkable than it now is, since farmers are not botanists, and the plants here mentioned have so faras | am aware at present no popular names. I have arranged the Orders to which they belong in botanical sequence, and hope that this hst may serve the purpose of calling atten- tion to the subject, so that farmers may do something towards ridding their farms of some of these pests to wool producers. I may add that specimens of wool containing some of these “burrs”? have been sent to me by merchants requesting to know what they were, and I think that in each case they were the seedvessels of one of the two species of Cynoglossnm. TILIACEAE. Triwmfetta effusa (H. Mey). A tall herbaceous plant with alternate leaves of very vary- ing shape even on the same plant, usually more or less trilobed, but sometimes the lobes are obsolete, especially on the upper leaves. The larger leaves are 3 to 4 inches Jong and wide, and are covered on hoth surfaces with minute simple and stellate hairs, the flowers are yellow, and the capsules about the size of a large pea, and covered with hooked bristles. The whole plant is from 2 to 4 feet high, and flowers during the summer. It is a common weed in the coast districts, but how far it extends inland I am at present unable to say. It has been figured and described in “Natal Plants,” and will appear in the next Part issued. Triumfetta pilosa, Roth. A very similar plant to the last named, but larger in all parts, and reaching to nearly 6 feet in height, the leaves are either 3-lobed or oblong to lanceolate, 3 to 5 inches long, 1 to 3 inches wide, and the whole plant is densely tomentose 6 with stellate hairs, the flowers are yellow, and larger than those of the last named species, as also are the capsules, which are covered with hooked hairy bristles. This plant is not uncommon in the coast districts, and has found its way as far as [xopo, a specimen of it having been sent to me by Mr. Jas. Schofield, M.L.A. Triumfetta Rhomboidea, Jacq., and Triumfetta, sp. These two species are very similar to T. effusa, the differ- ence between them would probably only be noticed by botanists, and both of them bear capsules covered with hooked bristles ; strictly they are coast plants, though I have collected both of them at an altitude of 2,000 feet above sea level, so they are very likely to reach the sheep districts, if in fact they have not already done so. Triumfetta annua, Linn. This is the smallest of the Natal species of the genus, and is an annual reaching from | to 2 feet in height, the leaves vary from broadly ovate-acuminate to ovate-lanceolate, and are like those of all the other species toothed at the margin, the flowers are yellow, and the burrs the size of a pea, covered with hooked bristles. This is certainly an introduced plant, as are also probably some of the other species of the genus. I collected it ten years ago on the Noodsberg, and think that IT have seen it still further from the coast. COMPOSIT#. Xanthium spinosum, Linn. X. strumarium, Linn. These two plants are unfortunately too well known to need any description here, but it may be as well to state again with reference to X. strumarium that not only are its burrs quite as detrimental to wool as those of X. spinosum, but also that doubts still exist as to its deleterious effects on cattle when eaten by them in its young state, when fully grown it is not at all likely that cattle would eat it. For further information as to this pestilent weed, I may refer to my report for 1899, pp. 2 Go.25. BORAGINEA. Cynoglossum enerve, Turez. C. micranthum, Desf. These two species are not uncommon in the upper districts and by the non-botanist are not easily distinguished from each other ; they are herbaceous plants, with entire leaves and white or blue flowers borne on elongated spikes. In this case it is the nuts (of which there are 4 to each flower) and not the cap- sules that are furnished with the hooked bristles, these nuts 7 are not large, but their numbers compensate for their size, and make the plant very undesirable were sheep or goats are likely to graze. AMARANTACER. Cyathula cylindrica, Mog. A rambling plant with elongated stems, usually found at edges of woods or amongst scrub, the leaves are opposite, petiolate, ovate-acuminate in our specimens, and the flowers are borne on the upper portion of the stems and branches, and thickly crowded together, usually in clusters of 3, the central one being fertile, and the lateral ones changing into hooked bristles, which take a firm hold of any passsing animal. ‘This plant is found in the upper as well as in the coast districts. Cyathula globulifera, Mog. A very similar plant to the last named one, and found in the same situations ; the chief difference between the two to the ordinary observer lies in the fact that in this case the flowers which are borne at the ends of the stems and branches form globose heads instead of cylindrical spikes as in the last named species. These plants bear their seeds in the autumn months, and I have often seen horses and cattle with their manes and tails felted together in a dense mass by the fruits of these plants, and can well conceive that they would be most detri- mental to wool if they were allowed to spread. Cyathula, sp. (J. M. Wood, No. 1323). This plant, of which the specific name is unknown to me, was collected by myself in 1881, near the Umzinyati Falls, but I have not yet met with it in any other locality. It appears to be the most formidable of the Natal species, as the bristles are longer, stouter, and sharper than in the species above enume- rated. It is therefore to be hoped that it will not be found to extend to the upper districts. Its flower heads are globose like those of the species last named. GRAMINEAE, Setaria verticillata, Beauv. A grass with culms reaching to 5 feet or more in length, and ripening its seed in February or March. In this case the small spikelets of the oblong panicle are each subtended by a “coarse reversely scabrid bristle 2 to 7 lines long.” These bristles take a firm hold of the clothing or of the coats of animals, and the whole panicle becomes detached, and is not easily got rid of in consequence of the large number of bristles in the panicles, which sometimes reach to 6 inches in length, 8 It is a common plant in the coast districts, and has been col- lected at more than 2,000 feet above sea level, usually in shady places. It is also a native of India, where it occurs at an altitude of 6,000 feet. Since the above was written, it has been suggested to me that it would be useful to farmers and others if lithographs and descriptions of the noxious weeds of the Colony or the most prominent of them could be prepared, and I have therefore arranged with the lithographer and printer of “‘ Natal Plants”’ to print 100 extra copies of such of them as in the future are described in that publication, so that they may be issued as a separate pamphlet. This will necessarily take some time to complete, as fresh specimens will have to be obtained, from which the drawings can be made, and the descriptions written, but it will be done as quickly as circumstances permit. In the meantime it would perhaps assist me if farmers would forward to me specimens of any noxious weeds on their farms, together with any information about them that they may be able to supply, especially their popular names, if any, or the names by which they are known to the natives. My assistant, Miss Lauth, is still with us, and has done all the drawings for “ Natal Plants” since my last Report, but she is very frequently taken off for other work, and it is there- fore necessary to obtain a junior assistant, and this I hope to do as soon as possible, especially, as when the new Herbarium building is completed, I hope to commence the formation of a botanical museum, which will entail much extra work and attention. J. MEDLEY WOOD. “CARS