50 PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. — SECTION C. 



sion. The area suggested by Mr. Gamble — viz., 200 acres — 

 will serve as a basis for discussion. 



Which of the localities named is to provide the central garden 

 from which the whole system is to be worked ? This is a ques- 

 tion of the first importance, and the successful working of the 

 scheme depends in no small degree upon the answer adopted. 

 Among the conditions which the locality to be selected must 

 satisfy, these are of outstanding importance: — 



1. Its climate must not be sub-tropical. This follows from 



the fact that only a small proportion of the country 

 whose interests are to be considered possesses a wet 

 sub-tropical chmate. A' garden placed in such conditions 

 would be to a large extent out of touch with the sub- 

 ordinate establishments. It is hardly less important to 

 avoid a hot damp climate, in order that the conditions 

 may be as favourable as possible for work. 



2. It must be near the sea. This because it is to serve as 



a centre for acclimatisation. Plants fresh from a sea 

 voyage are not in a condition to withstand a long rail- 

 way journey over the hot, dry plains of South Central 

 Africa. 



3. It should be within an area whose main interests are, 



directly or indirectly, agricultural. 



4. It must possess the conditions of soil and climate which 



are most favourable to the cultivation of that portion 

 of South African vegetation which is of the greatest 

 interest — scientific, horticultural and general. 



5. Lastly, but perhaps most important of all, it must be 



easily accessible to as large a number as possible of 

 the civilised inhabitants of the country. 



The Cape Peninsula is the only part of South Africa which 

 ■can satisfy all these conditions. Here we have the best climate 

 for continuous work that Southern Africa affords; a place near 

 the sea and yet offering a choice of situations, in which vegeta- 

 tion is not adversely affected by littoral conditions; a locality 

 which has been proved by long experience to be the best suited 

 for the principal Forest Station in the country; a centre which 

 has a larger settled white population and is visited by greater 

 numbers of people from within and from without than any other 

 part of the sub-continent. In the Cape Peninsula there are 

 many possible sites, some of which may be ruled out of court 

 at once. The Cape Town side of the mountain is too crowded, 

 and, moreover, it has already been tried and found wanting. A 

 situation directly facing the sea or in the main track of the 

 South-east wind is to be avoided. Our choice is, therefore, 

 restricted to the Eastern side of the Peninsula Range, and, in 

 view of the fifth of the requirements mentioned above, it is 

 practically limited to the available land between Wynberg and 

 the Devil's Peak — which includes all the localities suggested by 

 Mr. Gamble in 1890. There is no need to be more" particular 

 with regard to this matter at present. One cannot, however, 

 pass by in silence the suggestion which has been made more 

 than oi-kce, that the Groote Schuur estate possesses many striking 



