144 FOUNDATION AND EAULY WORK 



R.S. TAS. 



For the first four years, the gardens absorbed all the 

 energy of the Society. (47) In the first annual report 

 (May, 1845), the Council gives the following account of its 

 management of the Gardens (pp., 8-11): — 



''The attention of the Council was, in the first place, 

 ''directed to such alterations as by the division of the 

 "original Garden were rendered necessary, in order to 

 "carry out with efficiency the primary objects of the 

 "Society; and it having always been intended that the 

 "Secretary should reside in the house theretofore occupied 

 "by the Superintendent, (48) accommodation was pro- 

 "vided for the Secretary in town, until a cottage could be 

 "built in the Garden for the Superintendent. The cottage 

 "wa^s therefore begun, and will now be ver}^ shortl}'^ ©ffect- 

 "ed, and when finished, a space will be left capable of being 

 "converted into a public entrance to the Garden, through 

 "which Visitors will hereafter be admitted. 



"On the public drive through the Government Domain 

 "being laid out, (49) at least an acre of excellent land was 

 "left between the Garden fence and the new road, which 

 "the Lieutenant-Governor has permitted the Society to 

 "add to the Garden, and steps are now taking for the 

 "purpose : when this is completed, it is proposed to divide 

 "the entire area into such compartments as may best tend 

 "to develop the physical character of the island, and 

 "illustrate its natural history and productions. Three 

 "compartments are at present in view : namely, one for 

 "the botanical arrangement of plants, classified, a.nd label- 

 "leid ; another for the cultivation of such plants as ar© 

 "used in agriculture, medicine, and the arts ; and a third 

 "for the reception of such trees, fruits, and plants which 

 "it may be in any way useful or desirable to introduce 

 "into the colony. 



"It may be remarked that, at the recent General Meet- 

 "ing before adverted to, it was proposed to investigate, by 



(47) Sir Eardley Wilmnt, early in 1P44, erected a wall at the Gardens at 

 tlie public expense. After Sir Fardley Wilmofc's death the expenflitiire was 

 disallowed by the Colonial Auditor as an improper charge on public 

 funds (Despatch No 188. 19th November, 1847, Lieutenant-Governor, Sir 

 William Denison, to ErtI Grey. Secretary of State for the Colonies). Possibly 

 this wall is the brick wall to the east of the ftovernment House kitclien garden. 

 Probably it is to Sir Eardlev Wilniot's wall that a tradition at the gardens refers— 

 that a former Governor built a wall to keep out grasshoppers, using for it bricks 

 intended for Government House, aiul that he incurred the censure of the Secretary 

 of State for so doing. 



(48) This is the stone cottage now occupied by the Superintendent. 

 built in 1829. 



(49') "One of the first acts of Sir Eardley Wilmot was to give direc- 

 tions for the formation of roads through the Government Domain 

 for carriage drives, and convenient space on each side tor pro- 

 meniides."—Ilohart Town Advirt .se»-,26th September, 1843. 



