16 



Gardens for weekly payment of men*s wages, and arrears 

 of subscriptions £50, will give a total of £1128 85. 9d, 

 The expenditure, with liabilities, as per balance sheet, 

 amounted to £1244 3s. lie?., leaving a balance to debit of 

 £114 155.2^. 



Gardens. 



The principal new work performed at the Gardens has 

 been the laying out, forming, and planting of the Arboretum. 

 The work in connection with this is now almost complete, 

 and the plants are, with few exceptions, in position. 



Some of the finest views from the Gardens are visible 

 from this part, and there is no doubt it will soon become a 

 favourite resort, especially when the trees have made 

 sufficient growth to afford shade. 



About 500 new plants, many of considerable merit, have 

 been introduced. From seeds received from the Royal 

 Gardens, Kew, plants of Pithocolobium Saman have been 

 raised. This is a lofty shade tree, producing an abundance 

 of sweet pods, which are eagerly devoured by cattle ; the 

 leaves fold up at night, allowing the rain and dew to fall 

 to the ground, which favours the growth of grass beneath 

 the trees. It is a native of South America, and probably 

 better suited for cultivation in warm climates, but hitherto 

 the plants have done well with us. 



Special thanks are due to the donors of plants and seeds, 

 especially to Baron Ferd. Von Miieller, Government 

 Botanist, Victoria ; Sir J. Hooker, Royal Gardens, Kew ; 

 C. Moore, Director, Botanic Gardens, Sydney ; W. R. 

 Guilfoyle, Director, Botanic Gardens, Melbourne ; and the 

 Chamber of Agriculture, Washington, United States, for 

 their valuable donations. 



The gang of prison labour supplied during the year has 

 been of material assistance in performing the rougher 

 work, and especially in the formation of the Arboretum, 

 which could not have been carried out if this labour had not 

 been supplied. 



The estimated number of visitors for the year is 55,956. 



