290 Calcutta Garden. 



that the introduction of plants into the Botanic Garden, or neighbour- 

 hood of Calcutta, is the great object of the institution. 



The nutmeg, mangosteen, and clove, might, a priori be pronounced 

 unfit for introduction into Bengal to any useful extent. One of the great 

 points of utility in a Botanic Garden is, to procure plants for introduc- 

 tion into localities that appear best suited to them, and one of the uses 

 of a scientific Superintendent is, to point out those localities. There 

 are places in the South of the Peninsula, which appear to be well 

 adapted to the three above-mentioned plants ; but the Doctor does not 

 refer to them. 



Again, the Doctor states, " that he has been frequently requested to 

 furnish such common species as the Papaya, Guilandina, Moringa, &c. 

 to N. S. Wales ; but he has thought it unnecessary," he says, " to burden 

 the list with such common names." Why, the introduction of such useful 

 plants as the Papaya, Guilandina, and Moringa to New Holland, is of far 

 more importance than the thousand useless names that burden the list. 



In the 5th paragraph, the Doctor enumerates 22 plants included 

 in the list A, which are more particularly useful than any of the others. 



It is not stated by whom these useful plants were originally introduc- 

 ed. Were the Leechee, Loquat, Alligator Pear, Wampee, Sapota, in- 

 troduced by the Gardens, and thence supplied to individuals, or by 

 individuals supplied to the Garden ? We want information as to priority, 

 to which merit is generally attached. We have no information regarding 

 the extent to which they have been introduced, and none with regard to 

 places in which they have succeeded best, although both these items 

 are very important. 



The Doctor cultivates two sorts of oranges from Sylhet and Ben- 

 coolen. " Vines do not succeed, although Dr. Wallich had himself a vine 

 at Serampore 30 years ago, which he received from his benefactor and 

 friend Dr. Carey ; this bore fruit as well as several vines which that 

 venerable and great man had trained against his house before Dr. 

 Wallich's time ; but the cultivation of grapes requires, more attention, 

 labour, and expence than Dr. Wallich can bestow on it in the Botanic 

 Garden, the soil of which, somehow or other, is particularly unfavour- 

 able to the plant." If attention, labour, and expense, cannot be bestowed 

 in the Garden, where else can it be bestowed 1 A Government institution 

 has greater internal resources than a private one. Why has not the 

 soil been ameliorated ? We happen to know that it is capable of being 

 improved, and that Mr. Masters did improve it very much. 



In paragraph 6, Doctor Walkch states, he has had no success in the 

 introduction and extensive cultivation of foreign grasses, and this is un- 



