It will be noticed that the lowest fall in any of these 28 years 

 was that of the year just closed, the nearest to it being that of 

 1878, which was exactly one inch more than that of ! 900, but 

 in 1887 the fall was 35.67, while in 1899 it was only 28.75. 

 The ground has therefore been gradually drying up for the last 

 two years ; the rain that we have had has . not penetrated the 

 soil to any great depth, and the trees and shrubs are feeling 

 the effect of the drought to a considerable degree, and I fear 

 that our losses will be very severe unless copious rains fall very 

 soon ; as it is we have lost several plants, a list of which will 

 follow. 



We have been in the habit of sending out from year to year 

 from 4 to 7 tons of Mangoes, plucked green for making chutney, 

 &c, but last year none were gathered, and but very few are 

 left on the trees. The crop of Litchis also was a complete 

 failure, and all other fruit trees suffered in a similar way. 



We have again had several visits from swarms of locusts, 

 but they have done no appreciable damage, as their stay was 

 not of long duration, but we have been much troubled by birds, 

 notably by the " Weavar " bird or u Hloko-hloko " (Hyphan- 

 tomis sp.); these birds damaged the young palms in the nursery 

 to a considerable extent by stripping them of their leaves, 

 which the birds appeared to find admirably suited to their 

 requirements for nest building. Many of the palms had to be 

 carried to another locality where a lookout could be kept, and 

 I obtained from the Corporation a permit to use a gun in the 

 Gardens, and in this way the colony was somewhat thinned, but 

 the birds are stili more or less troublesome. 



The Jubilee Conservatory has, under Mr. Wylie's supervi- 

 sion, been kept in thoroughly good order, and has been visited 

 by large numbers of persons, many of whom have expressed 

 their warm appreciation of the luxuriance of the vegetation, 

 and of the opportunity afforded them of admiring the many 

 valuable plants contained in the building. 



The old conservatory is still standing, and is used for keep- 

 ing plants which are for sale. I had thought that when the 

 Jubilee Conservatory was erected that it might be possible at 

 small expense to remove the old house to a less conspicuous 

 position, and then enlarge the Fenery which is at the back of 

 it, bringing it out almost to the main walk of the Garden, and 

 providing it with an ornamental front, but on examination of 

 the building, which has an iron framing, it is found that it is 

 too much rusted to allow of its being again erected if it were 

 taken down, and as we are still somewhat short of room under 

 glass, it will have to remain for some time longer, though it 

 can hardly Jast very long. 



