50. 
Mr. John Horne, F.L.S., when Director of the Forests and Botanic 
Gardens of Mauritius, einitod the aint in 1883. His impressions of 
the Botanic Gardens were as follow 
“ When in Africa I travelled from Algoa Bay overland to Cape Town 
by post cart and train. I visited all the Botanic Gardens at the Cape, 
namely, Port Elizabeth, Graham’s Town, and Cape Town. They, in 
many respects, are most ditsppointngs being Botanie Gardens merely in 
name. The directors and curators are not to blame for this, but e 
gardens have to justify their ppr and support themselves by t 
ts. They are simply nursery establishments, and the sock 
on hand generally speaking is such as one finds i m - nurseries at home, 
stove or tropical plants excepted. They seem supply a want, the 
Graham's Town one especially, in supplying the saline with flowers, 
shrubs, and useful fruiting and flowering trees. Should, however, a 
stranger like myself, wish to see African plants he need not look in 
these gardens for them. There ar pas not many of them in any of these 
an V find them. 
introduced, grown and propagated with so much pains and trouble. And 
many of them are far more interesting from their dois d m aee 
and as botanical curiosities (if ae may use the expression) th o be 
found in any other country, the Cacti of Mexico perhaps Misit. 4 
The Cape Gardens — hither had little to do with the pecori 
and distribution of eco c plants or the dissemina ation. of informa 
acapetting such subjects “for the use of the general community. 
What has been attempted in this direction was owing entirely to the 
personal efi of- the curators. The following extract from Professor 
MacOwan’s. Report for 1883, pp. 3-4, shows how much more might have 
been sccaipliched if the funds at his command had allowed :— 
* The garden has been able to supply many demands made upon it by 
similar institutions at home and abroad and numerous private collectors, 
for things scarcely in the usual run of trade supply, partly gratis and 
partly by sale. ‘Thus duplicate palms and other fine conservatory plants 
have been furnished to the Port Elizabeth Park Committee, vine-cuttings 
on a large scale for experimental viticulture in the Transkei, seeds of 
Cinchona, ledgeriana to most of the Cape Botanic Gardens, Olives, 
Reana, and Sor NM m E private planters, Several enterprising 
cultivators are now, at our suggestion, trying to a Den the thornless 
Opuntia and the d iie in Namaqualand, Angra Pequena, and else 
where. I think these excellent food plants have fot received the 
attention they deserve. Of course they are special food eet suited 
to special localities, and do not come into competition with the ordinary 
veldt-bosjes and grass wherever the climatic conditions permit the usual 
pasturage, But I am sure that should the spek-boom be incapable of 
aeclimatisation on the sun-smitten randts of teeta ondasit the Opuntia 
be grown in vast thickets at the junction of rock and sand veldt, 
compressed hay for trek-cattle. Such culture throughout all karroid 
districts of the Colony subject to frequent failure of seasonable rains is 
far more important than the introduction of any more of the fancy 
staples which are from time to time proposed, praised,and forgotten, : d 
which have given point to the proverbial sneer that “the Cape i 
country of samples.” I wish it could be added that these supplies p 
Others to to the Government Forest Department were all made gratis. 
