

28G 



Islanders, and new kinds of sugar canes were received from 



Queensland and tlie West Indies. 



While cocoa and some rubber trees from Madagascar had 

 hitherto given very poor results, mandioca and coffee were 

 growing very satisfactorily in 1912. 



On the creation of an Agricultural Department the Paniple- 

 mousses Botanic Garden passed under the administration of the 

 Director of that Department in July, 1913. 



The new Director created a section for economic plants, which 

 soon had to be enlarged to its present extent of 10 arpents. 



In 1912 and 1913 it was found that the ornamental plants and 

 trees had been sadly neglected, and much labour w r as needed to 

 reduce their too luxuriant growth. Many fresh specimens of 

 flowers and plants were grown, and the Gardens were replanted 

 section by. section. 



A marble tablet was also put up in the Duchess of York Square 

 to commemorate the planting of two Norfolk Island Pines 

 (Araucaria excelsa) by Queen Mary in August, 1901. 



The 1914 report shows the considerable development of the 

 experimental cultivation and scientific study of the sugar cane, 

 but cotton has given purely negative results, owing to the ravages 

 of Tortri.r insulana and other pests. 



The Public Works Department have restored the buildings, and 

 are keeping the roads and paths in excellent condition. 



The exchange of plants and seeds with other countries has 

 grown enormously. But it is chiefly in the study and cultiva- 

 tion of the sugar cane and the scientific application of manures 

 increasing its productivity, that the Pamplemousses Garden is 

 rendering such valuable services to the Empire. It may well 

 be said that to-day it has attained the high-water mark of its 

 usefulness in this respect. % 



Explanation of Plates IX. & X. 



1. The " Tomb " of Paul and Virginie, with a plant of 



Encephalartos Hildebrandtii on either side. 



2. Avenue of the "Tomb" of Paul and Virginie, Pample- 



mousses. 



3. Lake in the Botanic Garden. 



4. A corner of the Botanic Garden, with Sabal Palms and Areca 



Catechu in the centre. 



XX.— MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 



Botanical Magazine. — The following plants are figured in the 

 number for April, May and June: — Liparis macrantha, Rolfe 

 (t. 8797), from the Island of Formosa; Mains rivularis, Roemer 

 (t. 8798), a native of Western North America; Wittia pana- 

 mentis, Britton & Rose (t. 8799), from the mountains of Panama; 

 Lonicera similis, Hemsl. var. Delavayi, Rehder (t. 8800), from 

 South-Western China; Primula bellidi folia, King ex Hook. f. 

 (t. 8801), a native of the Eastern Himalaya; ^Rhododendron 



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