26 



advocated." * The Superintendent in his report for the quarter 

 ending 30th September, 1888, records the fact that an important part 

 of the original scheme had been carried out by the establishment of 

 a model Kitchen Garden. Twenty large beds had been laid out 

 and planted. A contractor had been found to take for one quarter 

 the vegetables in excess of the requirements of the Superintendent 

 at a nominal rate of £2 per month. 



"The issue of plants from the garden for the quarter under 

 consideration reached a total of 4,569 ; of this number 3,770 were 

 purchased, and payment to the sum of £7 17s. Id. made accord- 

 ingly into the Treasury, the balance represented free issues. 



" For instruction in accordance with the original scheme there 

 was introduced into the Garden on the 14th September one Gbami, 

 the nephew of Chief Manuah of Itebu."t 



Some additional evidence of the demand for such an insti- 

 tution is afforded in the following extract from a despatch by 

 Mr. F. Evans, C.M.G., acting Administrator of Lagos to the 

 Secretary of State, dated the 27th of May, 1887, on the possibilities 

 of a trade in fruit. It was stated, " there is not sufficient fruit of 

 any kind grown in or near Lagos to enable exportation for trade 

 purposes to take place, and what is grown is mostly of an inferior 

 quality, no attention being paid to its cultivation, and although 

 limes, sweet oranges, and tamarinds might possibly be extensively 

 cultivated and preserved for exportation, the length of the voyage 

 between here and Europe precludes the possibility of fresh fruit." 

 The Kew Bulletin for 1888 states^ that "fruits grown in the 

 Colony are capable of being produced in much larger quantities, 

 but the natives do not understand the cultivation or the method 

 of preserving ; and consequently there is no inducement among 

 the local traders to open up or extend a trade in fresh or preserved 

 fruits." 



At the end of 1890 Mr. James McNair resigned, and was 

 succeeded by Mr. Henry Millen from the Royal Gardens, Kew.§ 



In 1892 it was recorded! of the department that since the 

 inception in 1887 considerable success had been attained in 

 cultivating plants received from Kew and elsewhere, and large 

 numbers possessing industrial value had been distributed, and 

 thati'under the joint authorship of Mr. Millen and Dr. Rowland, 

 the Colonial Surgeon, a printed list was published of the plants 

 (443 in number) cultivated at the station. 



Perhaps the next stage worth noting in the history of the 

 botanic station was a suggestion to convert it after ten years of 

 useful work into a model farm, and the following extracts from 

 official correspondence on the subject will convey sufficient 

 evidence as to the reasons advanced for and against the change. 



Col. Sir Henry McCallum, the Governor of Lagos, in a despatch 

 to the Secretary' of State for the Colonies, dated 19th of August, 



* Kew Bulletin, 1889, p. 69. 



t I.e., pp. 70, 71. 



X Kew Bulletin, 1888, pp. 224, 225. 



§ Kew Bulletin, 1891, p. 46. 



|| Kew Bulletin, 1892, p. 314. 



