26 
Station proposed to be established at Kotu in British Combo. In 
March of that year, Mr. Walter Haydon, a member of the garden- 
ing staff at Kew, who had been Acting Curator of the Botanic 
Station at Lagos, was appointed to the ‘Post. Mr. Haydon has con- 
tinued in charge until the present tim 
The poil extracts giving an Sedini of the work carried 
on at the Gambia Botanic Garden, are taken from the Report of 
the Curator for “tha year ending 3lst December, 1897. These 
afford an germs record of the efforts made to establish new 
industries in the ny. 
THE CURATOR to the ADMINISTRATOR of the GAM 
Botanic Station, ‘Kotu, 
SIR January : 98. 
I HAVE the honour to submit my A on the Botanic 
Station for the year ended 31s Ersten 
. Mr. G. J. Thomas was appointed Atia Curator during my 
absence on leave. I left the DIG on the 11th May, 1897, and 
Sisi, on the 5th November following. My absence, therefore, 
tended over a period of five months and twenty-four days. 
cet In the early part of the year a rre en erected within the 
Botanic Gardens for the use of the Curator, who is now always 
resident on the Station. The house is in ihe centre of the Gardens 
and commands a view of all the ground under cultivation. 
3. A low cane fence has been erected. around the house and the 
adjoining nursery for a distance of 72 feet from the building. 
This was necessary in order to divide this part of the Station from 
the public part and add to the privacy of the dwellin 
4. The general work during the year has Poén devoted to 
making up nursery beds, sowing seeds, planting out, m digging 
up roots, especially those of the * ‘Run” palm (Borassus flabelli- 
formis), which had taken possession of the land ; asii making 
paths around the house, keeping the np ew Írom weed and 
in carrying on the general business of the 
5. Nearly all the lürye trees still sedg pers the Station 
ground were pruned. 'They were native forest trees when the 
Station was started and were damaged by bush fires. They now 
6. A 
noticeable. It is growing out of the centre of a large Ficus 
Vogelii tree. The long trailing roots of the Ficus embrace the 
trunk »- the palm, and in time it will form a cede tree. This 
specimen has also been pruned, and as it is in a prominent 
pou t “its peculiarities can easily be Vinervel- 
ROADS. 
oe. All the roads have been kept in good condition. They 
ould, however, be greatly improved by putting stone on them. 
There is a bed of rock passing site es the surface of the ground 
a few minutes' walk from the Station. By means of blasting, 
enough stone could be obtained to pr the whole of the roads in 
the Station. This would be a great improvement. At present 
the roads are formed simply of earth thrown out of the drains 
on each side and may at any time be washed away by heavy 
rains, 
