THE AO Rl CULT 



URAL JOURNAL. 



G91 



In June I had the pleasure of welcom- 

 ing tlie members of the Horticultural 

 Associati on of New South Wales in the 

 museum building. Unfinished as its con- 

 tents were, the members expressed them- 

 selves as much pleased with what they 

 saw, and I hope this pleasant gathering is 

 the forerunner of meetings in the build- 

 ing of this and other horticultural and 

 scientific societies. 



Public Lectures. — I gave no public 

 lectures on botanical subjects during the 

 year. I had arranged for some during 

 the winter months, but my departure for 

 Europe necessitated the cancelling of all 

 such engagements. 



Departments of Agriculture and Forests. 

 — I have made many reports, partic ilarly 

 to the former Department, during the 

 year. The majority of the reports are on 

 weeds, whether they are likely to be 

 injurious to stock, or deleterious to the 

 farmer or pastoralist in any way. In 

 addition to these, reports are aski^d on 

 the most varied and interesting subjects. 

 I often report at lengih for the benefit of 

 farmers, feeling sure that much practical 

 good is done in that way. The reports 

 and articles are printel in the Agri- 

 cultural Gazette. 



Botauical Survey of the Colony. — Work 

 in this direction has advanced a stage 

 during the year, and I am collecting the 

 necessary maps for the purpose of record- 

 ing the indigenous flora. 



Collecting and Botanical Tours. — I 

 made but few botanical trips during the 

 year, owing to my departure for Europe. 

 In the United Kingdom and Ireland, 

 France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and 

 Ceylon, I visited many of the principal 

 botanic gardens, parks, and herbaria. I 

 attended the International Botanical Con- 

 gress held in connection with the Paris 

 Exhibit ion in October and the botanical 

 section of the British Association for the 

 advancement of Science held at Bradford 

 in , September. Everywhere I was re- 

 ceived with great kindness and con- 

 sideration. I have cemented old friend- 

 ships, made new ones, and, above all, I 

 have obtained a fund of practical infor- 

 mation in regard to botanical and horti- 

 cultural establishments that will be of the 

 highpst value to me in the carrying out 

 of my duties. My time was limited, but 

 I tried to make the best of it, and I have 



brought back with me a miss of infor- 

 mation to which I frequently refer, I 

 trust, with profit. 



The botanical trips undertaken by Mr. 

 W. Forsyth are recorded in his report 

 (supra) on the moss-herbarium. 



In the Public Service Association 

 Journal I wrote popular articles on the 

 prominent plants in the Garden, in flower 

 or fruit, month by month, for the months 

 of March April, May, and June. These 

 articles, like my other work, were inter- 

 rupted by my visit to Europe, 



Guide to Gardens. — I have spent a good 

 deal of time during the first half of the 

 year in the laborioi^s work of obtaining 

 additional materials for the much-needed 

 guide. I have modified my former plan 

 of preparing a complete gaide to the 

 Gardens, and have, instead, decided to 

 prepare a guide to the principal plants 

 and p:in*^s of interest. This is well under 

 weigh, and if it is not printed during 

 1901 it will be for some reison unfore- 

 seen by me. I have also in contempla- 

 tion the issuing of cheap guides to special 

 groups of plants, e.g., the Cycads, C<mifers, 

 Palms, contents of the glass-houses, and 

 so forth. In this way I shall utilise 

 certain matter which I have accumulated, 

 and which I have not inserted in the 

 guide now nearly ready for issue. 



Water Supply — Following is the 

 registered supply of water during the 

 year : — 



Meter No. 215, Gardens, 3.54:3,000 

 gallons ; meter No. 217, W.C.'s, &c., 

 1,491,000 gallons ; meter No. 221, Pro- 

 pagating Ground, 787,000 gallons ; meter 

 No. 224, Museum, Aviary, &c. 203,000 

 gallons ; meter No. 225, Directoi's resi- 

 dence, Cactus beds, &c., 223,000 gallons. 



Street Tree-planting. — This work has 

 been carried out by several suburban 

 municipalities, and there seems to be a 

 growing feeling that something should be 

 done in this direction in the Municipality 

 of Sydney itself. In saying this I do not 

 lose sight of the fact that the narrowness 

 of many of the Sydney streets renders 

 planting in them a matter of impractic- 

 ability. 



Plague of Flying-foxes. — During the 

 month of March we were visited by im- 

 mense numbers of flying-foxes. There 

 must have been many thousands of them^ 

 and some of the large trees were quite 



