6 



before now. We hope, however, during the early part of the 

 year to get some of them planted, but we are urgently requir- 

 ing more space, and it will soon be necessary to clear away 

 some more of the native bush, either at the foot of the Gardens, 

 or at the upper portion near the Observatory, but with the 

 present supply of labour, and the great pressure of other work, 

 we have been quite unable to attend to this, however desirable 

 it may be. 



We have long felt the need of a propagating house, and I am 

 pleased to be able to say that during the present year that 

 want will be supplied ; the walls are already erected and the 

 superstructure, with boiler and piping, is on board the " Clan 

 Lindsay," now daily expected, so that in a few. weeks time, we 

 may hope to have the building in working order. 



As stated in my last Annual Report a new Conservatory is 

 very much required, the present building is too small for out 

 stock of plants, and is also sadly out of repair ; we had hoped 

 during the past year we should have been able to have had it 

 put in thorough repair, and still look forward to having a larger 

 and more commodious building at no very distant date. 



I have been frequently asked by visitors whether a " Guide " 

 of any kind was to be obtained, and as the number of visitors 

 has very much increased, and it is quite impossible for a mem- 

 ber of the staff to go round with all, I took advantage of a little 

 comparative leisure in the winter to compile a " Guide to the 

 trees and shrubs." Of course the information given is neces- 

 sarily in a very condensed form, but it is hoped nevertheless 

 that it may be found useful and interesting. It will be accom- 

 panied by a lithographed plan of the ground, on which the 

 position of the trees is indicated by numbers, and also includes 

 indices to both popular and scientific names of the trees. 

 When time can be found for the work it is intended to affix to 

 the plants numbers corresponding with those in the " Guide. " 

 This pamphlet will be ready it is hoped during the present 

 month, and can then be obtained at the Gardens at about cost 

 price. 



The enamelled plant labels alluded to in my last report give 

 general satisfaction, and it was my intention to have obtained 

 a much larger number, so that one specimen at least of every 

 tree in the Gardens should have a label affixed to it, but in 

 consequence of many of them having been maliciously destroyed, 

 presumably by mischievious boys, I hesitated about sending for 

 more, but as I believe they are the best, neatest, and most 

 conspicuous ones we can obtain, I shall have to send for more 

 in the early part of the year, and we shall be compelled to make 

 an example of the first jjerson who may be detected in damag- 

 ing them, either with slings, sticks, or otherwise, 



