16 LETTERS ON AGRICULTURE. 



smooth as marble, made of large squares of hard wood, would be a 

 novelty anywhere. In the astronomical observatory is a dark mahog- 

 any-brown table top, 6 feet wide and 12 feet long, of native "harra" 

 wood, which shows the large size to which these forest trees some- 

 times grow, and corroborates the statements made in works of travel 

 as well as by officers that large forests of giant trees exist, into the 

 hollow stumps of some of which it is possible to ride on horseback. 



With such valuable timbers, the problem of their protection and 

 proper exploitation becomes an important one, notwithstanding the 

 well-understood fact that comparatively few tropical cabinet woods 

 pay for exportation to Europe or America. The Dutch have shown 

 in Java what can be done in the forestry management of a tropical 

 island, and their system is well worth study. 



There are the remains of a botanical garden near the heart of the 

 city which was formerly under the directorship of Dr. Regino Garcia, 

 a man of intelligence and a botanist. Dr. Garcia was in the employ 

 of the Spanish Government from 1866 to January 31, 1899, and received 

 from that and other governments various decorations and diplomas for 

 expositions of Philippine products. At present the garden is in 

 charge of an American, and his supervision extends to the public plazas 

 and roadways. The garden itself contains only about six or seven 

 acres, lying between the two principal driveways to the ^Lunetta" or 

 promenade. During the insurrection prior to the American occupa- 

 tion, the iron fence about the garden was removed and many of the 

 best specimens of plants dug up or cut down. The larger trees were 

 roughly pruned and hacked to pieces, and so far as possible everything 

 which could serve as a shelter for the insurgents against the fire from 

 the walled city near by was pulled down. A small two-story frame 

 building of five rooms and a gate-keeper's lodge were, however, left 

 standing, and the former is being put into a habitable condition. As 

 to labels, those most perishable and yet necessary adjuncts of a botanic 

 garden, there are practically none, nor could I discover that there 

 existed any list of the few hundred plants contained in the garden. A 

 redetermination of most of the species will be necessary. 



Although I have seen botanic gardens which were little more than 

 heterogeneous collections of ill-kept plants and lawnless stretches of 

 bare earth, this garden in Manila is at present the worst I have ever- 

 seen. 



The street tree planting which is going on deserves careful direc- 

 tion in the selection of trees best suited for avenue purposes. Noth- 

 ing could add more to the general comfort of the citizens of Manila 

 than a replanting of the numerous small plazas and the setting out 

 and protection of shade trees along such streets as are wide enough to 

 admit them. It is no doubt true that many street trees which served 

 to shelter the insurgents were cut down by the Spanish, but such sad 



