46 



HOPE GARDENS. 



Extension of Garden. — The work of extension of the Gardens has 

 progressed very favourably this year, some of the worst portions of the 

 land having been taken in hand first and put into proper shape. The 

 commencement was made on the left hand side at the entrance by the 

 Superintendent's House, this piece of very bad land (the very worst on 

 the place) being in so prominent a position, was first put in order. 

 There were two trees on the ground, a Yoke "Wood and a very large 

 Tamarind. The piece of road leading from the gate through the Garden 

 being very badly in want of repairs, it was determined to dig out the 

 gravel from the site of what is now a rose bed, repair the road with it 

 and replace the gravel with good soil. To do this 2,500 cartloads of 

 gravel were placed on the road and a corresponding amount of soil put 

 in its place to form the rose bed. 



On the opposite side of the road the land was found to be very poor 

 also, although not so bad as the other. This was thoroughly ploughed 

 up, large quantities of old slates and stones removed, and about 200 

 cartloads of good soil added to bring it up to a proper level. Two beds 

 of various ornamental plants were put out, a walk made from the 

 carriage drive to the old house and a rose bed reaching to the Teak 

 Plantation. 



The size of the rose bed from which the gravel was taken is 232 feet 

 by 40 feet. The area of the beds of ornamental plants is \\ square 

 chains. 



The rose bed formed opposite the Teak Plantation is 100 feet by 10 

 feet. The length of the four feet verge on the front of all the beds is 

 1,100 feet. The verges consist of Bahama grass, they were made level 

 and are kept constantly mown. At the back of the rose bed is a grass 

 walk 12 feet wide and 262 feet long ; there are also grass walks between 

 the beds. 



Along the line fence between the gardens and the water- works a 

 hedge of Aralias and Panax of different varieties to the number of 391 

 has been planted, the object being to cover up the unsightly wire fence ; 

 the hedge is continued on the gutter side to the bottom of the nursery 

 to screen the working portion of the nursery in which some untidi- 

 ness is inevitable. 



The portion of the rose garden made last year has been kept in good 

 condition, the Bahama grass verges have proved to be most excellent 

 turf, and the roses have grown exceedingly well. The lime hedge at the 

 top of the old rose garden has been removed altogether, and the old rose 

 garden has been remodelled entirely ; several large trees such as Cotton, 

 Trumpet and Sand-box were removed. The small beds and the narrow 

 walks with the verges nine inches wide have been abolished, one single 

 bed has been made with a grass walk on one side 6 feet wide, on another 

 12 feet wide, on another8 feet wide. The bed in which climbing roses 

 only are planted, is 48 feet wide and 305 feet long, the remaining part 

 being laid down in Bahama grass as there are some large trees which it 

 is not desirable to cut down on account of their rareness. 



The walk between the row of Diyi-Divi trees has been gravelled ; the 

 length of the walk is 396 feet, and the breadth 27 feet., the depth of 

 gravel from 6 to 9 inches. Forty large palms and tree ferns stand on 



