28 



1871. 



For this year the Minute Book is a blank, except for the 

 record of a meeting of the Committee in December for the pur- 

 pose of passing accounts. Eight pages are left blank, and have 

 never been filled in. The Curator reports that Mr. Shepstone 

 informs him as to the fruit trees in his charge. " The result is 

 a great variety of fruit trees successfully introduced into the 

 Colony, and as I suppose correctly named." Out of those sup- 

 plied 146 seem to have been reared. During the year the 

 following plants were introduced: — Garcinia mangostana, 

 Spondias dulcis, Ficus aspera, Juglans regia ; from Kew Gar- 

 dens a number of Grape vines, and from the Botanic Gardens, 

 Mauritius, 22 kinds of sugar cane. 



1872. 



Mr. Sanderson was again elected President, and Mr. Jame- 

 son Secretary. In April the Curator, Mr. McKen, died, and 

 Mr. Ridsdale was placed temporarily in charge of the Gardens. 

 In May 96 varieties of Sugar Cane arrived from Mauritius, and 

 were placed in charge of Mr. Clarence. It was decided to leave 

 the selection of a Curator and a Gardener to the Director of Kew 

 Gardens. In December Mr. Keit arrived, and at once took up 

 the duties of the Curatorship. 



1873. 



At the annual meeting Mr. Sanderson was again elected 

 President, and the names of Messrs. T. J. Hill, J. Brickhill, 

 and W. R. Parker appear as Committeemen. The following 

 amongst others are reported as recent additions to the collec- 

 tion: — Argania sideroxylon, Capparis spinosa, Dipteryx odorata, 

 Ficus syringaefolia, Lecythis sp., Lagunaria Patersoni, Musa 

 textilis, Macadamia ternifolia, Piper nigrum, Sterculia hetero- 

 phylla. 



1874. 



Mr. Sanderson was again elected President, and no new 

 names appear on the list of Committeemen. Mr. Clarence 

 reports that the 96 varieties of Sugar Cane arrived in very bad 

 order, and that only 6 of the varieties survived. Mr. C. Barter 

 reports that the plant of Cinchona had been destroyed " by 

 irruption of cattle," and Mr. Pistorius that the plant that he 

 had received was about 6 feet high, but had been planted in an 

 unsuitable situation, and that plants which he had reared from 

 seed and given to Messrs. R. Topham and W. Todd had been 

 killed by frost. 



