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varieties of sugar cane, as the canes on the Island had been 

 ravaged by disease. Heller sent several kinds to Mauritius and 

 saved its agriculture from imminent ruin. He died in New 



South Wales. 



John Home, who had been temporary Director after Duncan's 

 departure, as well as Assistant Director under Dr. Meller, 

 became temporary Director after the latter's death in 1866, was 

 appointed Director in August, 1876. He was sent to Fiji in 1877 

 to procure new canes, which proved of great value. 



William Scott.— From Februarv, 1881, William Scott was 

 Home's assistant, and succeeded him as Director in August, 1893. 

 General Gordon stayed with him for some weeks when he visited 

 the Island. Scott was a very able Director, and his annual 

 reports show the extent of the works and improvements carried 

 out under his regime. His activities were sadly hampered by the 

 hurricane of April 29th, 1892, which destroyed a great many 

 valuable specimens, though by dint of great care and patience 

 he succeeded in saving a certain number, so that the Gardens 

 soon resumed their normal appearance. 



Just as the Gardens were recovering, on December 5th, a 

 cyclone, the centre of which was about four miles to the east of 

 the Island, wrought great havoc among the buildings and 

 gardens of the establishment. The orchid houses and pavilions 

 were wrecked, and many palms and other trees uprooted and 

 broken. 



The big Lodoicea Sechettaruin was stripped of its leaves and 

 nearly died, the lakes were choked with fallen trees and branches. 

 Once more great efforts were needed to repair the damage. 



In the year 1897 also, there was an exceptional drought, which 

 caused great damage. The lakes in the Gardens were almost 

 entirely dry, and great efiorts were needed to keep the plants 

 alive. 



Joseph Vankeirsbikk. Paul Koenig. — After Scott's de- 

 parture Joseph Yankeirsbilck was appointed Director of the 

 Gardens in July, 1898; he occupied this post until his death in 



September, 1903. 



After his death in 1903, Paul Koenig took over the post of 

 Director. His first annual report gives an interesting description 

 of the varieties of palms growing in the Gardens. 



The 1905 report gives a good idea of the progress made since 

 the publication of Duncan's Catalogue: 



Duncan had distributed 25,925 plants among the Inlanders in 

 1862, while in 1905, 317,291 plants from the Gardens were sold, 

 given away or exchanged at home and abroad. The 

 swamp of Mon Plaisir was drained, and after an unsuccessful 

 experiment of planting it with Lichis, it was turned in part 

 into a rice field (where 16 varieties from Madagascar, Ceylon and 

 British Guiana were very successfully grown), and partly planted 

 with lime trees raised from garden seedlings. 



In 1909 Java tobacco seeds were sold or given *way to the 



