2 



Experiments were also being made in the cultivation of cork- 1 

 oak trees, but they ultimately proved unsuccessful. Experiments i 

 were also made on the growth of fibre for paper. 



In 1874-1875 the area under tillage was 57 acres, 7 of which 

 were watered, It was ascertained that prickly-pear made a 

 valuable manure if it was left to rot in a cistern, through which 

 the water of an irrigation channel was led. A fairly successful 

 attempt was made to grow vanilla. Flax was also grown of fair 

 quality, but of excessive dearness. 



In 1875-1876 the most important new introductions were 

 Bahamocarpon brevifolium a plant yielding pods useful in 

 tanning, and the Liberian coffee. Cereal crops were raised with 

 a view to selecting the seed, 



In 1876-1877 experiments in the production of tasar silk were 

 continued. 



In 1877-1878 experiments were carried on with mahogany 

 trees, the seed of which had been sent from Kew Gardens and 

 planted in 1874. The trees could be established if well watered 

 during the first two years. 



The blue gum tree (Eucalyptus globulus) was found to thrive 

 well for 4 or 5 years and then to die off. Cinchona died in the 

 hot season if planted out. Taraxacum was grown with success. 

 The tasar silk experiments were not satisfactory. 



In 1878-1879 it was decided by Government that the Gardens 

 should be constituted the recognized chief botanic* gardens of the 

 Presidency, and that arrangements should be made for forming 

 in them as complete a collection as possible of the local plants 

 of Western India, a herbarium of which was to be kept perma- 

 nently on the spot along with a selected library of diagrams and 

 botanical works of reference. Botanical teaching was bogun at 

 the end of February 1879 by means of lectures at the Gardens 

 and at the College of Science and Deccan College. 



Experiments with Nankin cotton showed that it could not 

 be profitably grown in the Deccan. 



In 1879-1880 a room was partially fitted as a herbarium. 



Experiments with the thornless prickly-pear, a favourite food, 

 when skinned, for cattle, showed that it grows freely as a fence. 



The yield of the forage grass (Ettchl&na luxurious) saemed 

 nearly the same as that of Guinea grass. A crop sown in November 

 and cut in April gave 16 tons per acre of green forage at one 



