May I, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGSfCtTLftJRlSf. 



777 



Exhaust steam being a mixture of steam and hot water, 

 two special apparatus are provided for separating the two ; 

 the former passsug to the exhaust steim-recciver, the latter 

 into the hot water receiver, thence into the boiler, all this 

 meaning great saving of fuel. 



The present is only a test crushing for about a fortnight, 

 and though cane is standing at a density of 9®E., this no 

 longer can be expected, as the rainy season is near at hand. 

 The crushing of 1834 will commence about the end of May 

 next, and the company having bought up all the selectors' 

 cane on the river, expect with this and their own to turn 

 out about 900 tons of sugar. Provision has been made for 

 this estate to have under caiffe by early in July next 927 

 acres, all to be available for the season of 1885. The site 

 of the Queunslaud Sugar Company's mill adjoius that of the 

 Mourilyan Company's, and with the gauge of their railway 

 the same, so that it has its outlet for produce either by. w.ay 

 o£ Mourilyan Harljour on one side, or hy the river to Gerald- 

 ton, one mile and a quarter distant, on the other side. 



This district of Johnstone and Mourilyan is making pro- 

 gress, as in evidenced by the fact that now four steamers a 

 week are kept regularly going between Townsville and its 

 ports. 



The Mourilyan railway motor is now rimning three and 

 a-half miles out from Mourilyan Harbour, all work on the 

 line being most substantially done, and Mr. Bashford ex- 

 pects that he will soon be able to run the motor right 

 through to the Mourilyan Company's E.state, thereliy con- 

 necting Mourilyan Harbour with the South Johnstone River, 

 a distance of si.x and three-quarter miles. — Queeiislander. 



A WE\\- GAKDBN AT BAEODA. 



The Baroda (India) Public Garden is situated between 

 the ancient city of tliat name and the British camp. It 

 consists of about 100 acres of good alluvial soil, and is 

 traversed by the Vishwamtri river its whole length, by 

 many winding and graceful curves in a most picturesque 

 manner, and its banks being studded with Hindoo tem- 

 ples adds much to the beauty of the scene, and f^ys much 

 for the good and enlightened taste of bis Highness the 

 young Gaekwar and his able late Prime Minister, Sir J. 

 Madav Rao, in selecting such an admirable site for a garden. 

 The garden was formally thrown open, and presented by 

 his Highness to his subjects in pei^petuity. in January, 1879. 

 The maiu entrance is on the city side, and is adorned by 

 massive and handsome cast-iron gates and finely-curved 

 stone pillars, each surmounted by an ornament.al lamp. 



On entering there is a flower-garden on either side, which 

 is always kept gay with flowering jilants. If your visit 

 be in the monsoon months, splendid Balsams, Zinnias, 

 Cockscombs, Marigolds, iScc, meet your gaze in all the 

 brUliant colours of the rainbow; it in the cold weather, 

 Nasturtiums, Phlox Drummondi, I'etunias, Stocks, Verbenas, 

 &c. ; and if in the very hot weatlier of summer, Portu- 

 laccas. Sunflower, Calliopsis, &c., keep a continual succes- 

 sion of flowers, with an evergreen turf kept so by con- 

 stavit watering. Passing on over a fine stone bridge which 

 crosses a small tributary of the Vishwamtri, you jjerceive 

 the Gaekwar's panlion. or pleasure-bouse, which alone is 

 •kept for his Highness's private use. On your right and 

 left are extensive undulating lawns with magnificent sjje- 

 cimen trees of Tamarindus indica and Jlaguifera indica ; 

 in front of the pavilion is a very large circular flower 

 garden all on turf: it is divided into a very neat plan of 

 eight large diamond beds, twenty-four smaller angular beils, 

 and one large circular bed in the centre, which is intended 

 for a fountain hereafter. Taking the road to your right 

 brings you to a large plant-house in the shape of a cross, 

 earch arm KXI feet long by 50 wide, with a handsome 

 stone tank, .30 feet in diameter, with rocky scenery for 

 fountains, their sides clothed with Ferns, C^aladiums, and 

 other moisture-lo%'ing plants, with fine jets of water play- 

 ing from among the rocks in delightfully cool sprays. The 

 other parts of the house is filled with the liLxm'iant veget- 

 ation of more moist climes, such as Palms, Orotons, Dra- 

 caenas, Anthuriums, Dieffenbachias, Marantas, kc. ; it is 

 in such places you see- the Eucharis in its full glory, with 

 its dark pea-green foliage and snow-white flowers. 



Leaving the plant-house by the opposite door from that 

 which we entered, we pass on to the west through lofty 

 clumi)s of Bamboo and finely-kept lawns, studded here 

 99 



and there with a nice standard Rose, or a stately Four- 

 croya, rearing its flower-stem some 20 to 30 feet high. A 

 little further on we come to a small irregular lake with 

 a small island and a pigeon-cot on it ; we have now a 

 straight avenue of Guatteria longifolia, and on either side 

 a rosery, planted mostly with standards of the Noisette 

 and Tea sections, which appear to thrive much better than 

 the hybrid perpetuals. They are also all grown on the 

 Rose Edouard as a stock, which renders them much hardier. 

 At the end of this rosery stands a little ornamentiil he.xa- 

 gonal summer-house to all appearance, but it is the Super- 

 intendent's office, and about 50 yards further west stands 

 a pretty little aviary, the dome of which is surmounted 

 by a spread eagle. About 50 yards further on we come 

 to the end of this avenue ; when we turn sharp to our 

 right before us is another avenue, but this time of Poin- 

 ciana regia, on a slightly raised piece of ground. To the 

 right of this avenue there is a fine band-sfc-aid, where music 

 is freely discoursed once a week to all w lio like to come 

 and hear it ; over the band-stand climbs many a hand- 

 some creeper, prominent among which is the Bougainvillea 

 glabra, Quis-qualis indica, Dalbergia scandens, &c. ; round 

 the baud-stand is a portion set apart for pedestrians only, 

 where horses and cariages are excluded : - ■rnamental stone 

 and cast iron seats are plentifully placed for the use of 

 the public under the shade of fine clumps of Bamboos, 

 and the magnificent Teak tree (Tectona grandis). Leav- 

 ing the band-stand and following the Poiuciana avenue for 

 200 yards, we come to the North or C-nnp Gate, where 

 there is another lawn and fine flower g irden, gay at all 

 seasons with flowering plants ; on either side are fine shrub- 

 beries to di\'ide the tliree carriage drives that here meet, 

 and then branch out tlurough the garden. A\'e will leave 

 the gate on our left, and follow the drive that leads east 

 through a fine grove of Babool trees (.-Vcacia arabica), 

 which when in flower scent the air for a long way with 

 their sweet aroma. Having traversed about 100 yards, 

 having on our left a tropical jungle which has been assisted 

 by art to shut out the camp from view, we come to the 

 River Vishwamtri: the carriage drive niiw follows its nat- 

 ural winding, and curves for nearly two miles through 

 shrubberies of tropical luxuriance, past artificial mounds 

 with winding paths to their tops, where fine views of the 

 garden and surrounding country are obtained, the sides of 

 which are planted with succulent plants and large stones 

 for rocks. In a hollow of the bank is a fine clump of 

 Arundo donax, with the variegated form in the foreground ; 

 to the right between us and the hand-stand are three liowers, 

 each 75 feet long, covered with twelve different vari"ties 

 of creepers each, affording a cool and grateful shade f''om 

 the mid-day sun. Passing on through groves of Oocouut 

 and Orange trees, we come out on a pretty little marble 

 summer-house such as any Orientals indulge in, of beauti- 

 ful and chaste carved workmanship. Still following thi: 

 river we come to a large iron bridge which spans it, 200 

 feet long, with very handsome stone cupolas at each end. 

 This bridge connects the' garden proper with tlie zoolog- 

 ical part, which is still in its infancy. At the east end 

 of this portion stands a pretty little cottage covered with 

 creepers, at one end of which is the Antigonon leptopus, 

 covering over 1,000 .square feet of the roof. To the south 

 of the Superintendent's house are the quarters for all the 

 nnder-gardeners, of whom there are ab lut forty, the rest 

 of the labour required being supplied daily by about a 

 hundred prison '• hands," and who look the most contented 

 of labourers. 



■\Ve will now return over the bridge and resume our 

 walk along the river bank. On our right is a maze, with 

 dense hedges of .Tnga dulcis, from which you luar the hum 

 of voices as the people in their holiday attire try to thread 

 its intricate paths. Past this we come to three fine law 11 

 tennis courts, where morning and evening, parties enjoy 

 themselves. Divided by a shrubbery of Neriums from 

 the lawn tennis courts is the general nur^ury, which has 

 been a scene of activity for the last four yi ars. When we 

 remember that most of all the plants in'fiiis large garden 

 have been raised from seeds and planted out into their 

 permanent sites, we can fancy there has ' een work, but 

 the climate has assisted also; everythiig grows with 

 tropical luxiu'iance and rapidity. 



As we pass round the nursery we observe a large square 

 tank elevated some 25 feet above ground level, and natur- 



