->i^I^ E F» O R T.^»^ 



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Natal Botanic Gardens, 

 BiifiKA, DiJRiiAx, Jan LIAR Y 1898. 



To THE President and Committee, 



Durban Botanic Socibty. 

 Gentlemen, — 



I have the pleasure of handing to you herewith this my 

 sixteenth Annual Report on the Natal Botanic Gardens, and 

 the work done in connection with them. I am pleased to be 

 able to say that we have suffered no serious losses during the 

 year, and that the plants both in Garden and Nusery are 

 all that could be desired. 



The year now ended has been a very busy one indeed, and the 

 staff have been hard pushed to keep up with the work, especially 

 during the latter part of the year, when native labour was 

 almost unobtainable, and we had as many Indians as we were 

 able to find accommodation for, so that for the first time in the 

 history of the Gardens, which reaches back for 46 years, we 

 have had to call in the services of a contractor with a gang of 

 labourers to weed the ground, and do other necessary work. 

 It is much to be hoped that this state of things will not be 

 of long continuance. It has been suggested that Indians 

 accustomed to the work should be obtained from India, and 

 I hope that ere long this suggestion will be carried into effect. 



In consequence of this great press of work and scarcity of 

 labour, no alterations or other work of importance could have 

 been attempted except as hereafter noted, though there are 

 several things that will n^-ed to be taken in hand when oppor- 

 tunities occur, such as completing the fencing round the ground, 

 hardening the main walks, clearing a^vay supei-fious tr-ees, that 

 is, those of which we have more specimens than necessary, such 

 as the '" Flatcrown " (Zygia fastigiata), Mangoes and a few 

 others, thus affording room for planting out other and more 

 valuable plants, some of which are already in stock and require 

 attention. 



