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prizes be offered for produce. On December 15th, 1849, Dr. 

 Johnstone was appointed the first Curator of the Gardens. On 

 August 9th, 1850, the first exhibition of Colonial produce was 

 held, and the following prizes were awarded: — Cotton, Mr. 

 Brooker, £5 ; Potatoes, Mr. Clarence, 10s. ; Oats, Mr. Brooker, 

 £1; Wheat, Mr. Jordan, £2; Beans, Mr. Beningfield, £1 ; 

 Horse Hoe, Mr. Kinghurst, £2 ; Yams, Mr. Morewood, 10s. ; 

 introducer of the greatest number of useful plants, Mr. More- 

 wood, £3 ; excellence and variety of vegetables and fruits, Mr. 

 Beningfield, £5. At a meeting of Committee held on October 

 14th, 1850, an election of officers took place, and the following 

 well-known names were, with some others, added to the Com- 

 mittee : — P. A. R. Otto, S. Beningfield, — Moreland, J. R. 

 Goodricke, — Russom, — Dacomb, — Pickering, — Eastwood, 

 — Pinsent, and at a subsequent meeting the name of Mr. J. G. 

 Fielden was added to the list, and Dr. Johnstone resigned his 

 position as Curator, his remuneration having apparently been 

 as stated in the Minute Book, " That in lieu of salary and to 

 cover all expenses Dr. Johnstone be allowed to sell the surplus 

 produce of the Gardens over and above what may be required 

 as stock." 



Towards the end of 1850 Mr. M. J. McKen arrived in the 

 Colony, bringing with him a number of plants from Kew 

 Gardens, which were handed over to the Society, amongst them 

 were the following : —Mango, Allspice, Assam Tea, Gamboge, 

 Black Pepper, Quassia, Ginger, Cocoa Plum, Wampee, Jack, 

 Cinnamon, Coffee, Longaan, Camphor, Papaw, Cocoa, Blood 

 and Mandarin Orange, Ipecacuanha, Guava, Rose Apple, 

 Paraguay Tea, China Guava, Arrowroot, Cinchona and others, 

 this being so far as T am aware the first introduction of these 

 plants into the Colony. At a meeting held on June 11th, 1851, 

 Mr. McKen was appointed Curator of the Gardens, which, how- 

 ever, at that time had no existence, the plants brought by Mr. 

 McKen being in the charge of Mr. S. P. Beningfield, but nego- 

 tiations were being carried on with the view of obtaining the 

 site on which the Gardens now stand. At another meeting 

 held the same month, it was resolved that Mr. McKen be 

 instructed " to obtain the services of four European labourers 

 at 3s. 6d. per day for one month," so that clearing the land was 

 about to commence, but there is no record up to this date of 

 the Lieut. -Governor having granted the land. In July, 1851, 

 the following new names appear on the Committee : — Captain 

 Smerdon, A. F. Dawson, A. Jacques, W. Wood, J. Sanderson, 

 E. B. Herbert, W. Sanderson, H. J. Barrett, — W. Evans, L. 

 Wray, and H. Searle. At a meeting held in August, 1852, the 

 following resolution appears : — " That Mr, McKen be allowed 



