280 Fruits cultivated i7i the Botanic Garden 



Art. XVI. Catalogue of Fruits cultivated in the Government Bo- 

 tanic Garden at Sydney, in Neiv South Wales. By Mr. Charles 

 Fraser, C.M.H.S. 



Sir, 



At the suggestion of my friend, Mr. M'Leay, I have sent 

 you the accompanying list of fruits at present cultivated in the 

 public garden, Sydney ; and will feel great pleasure in com- 

 municating generally with you, upon any remarkable feature 

 in the character of the botany or horticulture of the colonised 

 portion of New Holland, from time to time. I have arranged 

 a catalogue of the plants in our gardens, which has gone to 

 press, and I will take an early opportunity of forwarding you 

 a copy of it, and a general report of our garden; want of time 

 prevents my doing so now. 



The present season has been a very trying one ; we have 

 had no rain for upwards of eight months, until within the 

 last few days. The consequence has been that we have lost a 

 vast number of valuable plants, which will take me some time 

 to replace ; and it is somewhat remarkable, that our European 

 trees stood the drought much better than those of warmer 

 climates ; while our oranges, limes, shaddocks, guavas, &c., 

 were completely burnt up, our apples, pears, &c., stood the 

 shock without any apparent injury. You have, no doubt, heard 

 a great deal said of the capabilities of our climate ; the fol- 

 lowing circumstance may be considered as not usual in other 

 climates : — 



In an exposed part of our garden may be seen growing 

 luxuriantly, in a dense thicket formed by themselves, the fol- 

 lowing ti'ees, viz. English ash and elm, Erythrina Corallo- 

 dendrum in full flower, Bombax heptaphyllum, Guilandina 

 Bondnc, i^icus elastica, Dalbergm Sissoo, Tectona grandis, 

 Pinus Pinaster and halepensis, Catalpa sijringii<^\2L^ English 

 lime and sycamore, Mossy-capped and English oak, Acacia 

 ^amariscina, Salisbury adiantifolia, and many others. With 

 the tea I have been exceedingly fortunate, and the olives 

 seem to outdo in luxuriance any plants I ever beheld. 



In my next I will be more descriptive, and remain, in the 

 mean time, 



Yours, &c. 



Charles Eraser. 

 Botanic Garden, Sydney, Nero South Wales, 

 April 1. 1828. 



