47 



either side making the walk look very cool and pleasant ; five garden 

 seats have been placed in it and it is a favourite resort of visitors to the 

 garden. 



The rockeries at the bottom planted with ferns last year are in good 

 order. 



Nursery. — The Nursery is still in excellent order ; 42,981 plants have 

 been sold and granted free to Public Institutions, etc. The stock is 

 about 70,000 ornamental, economic plants, palms, shade trees, etc., all 

 arranged in different sections. At the close of the year 7,000 

 Eucalyptus were potted up but deaths have reduced them to 5,478. 



On the south and south-east sides of the Nursery a hedge of Aralia 

 Quilfoylei has been planted consisting of 239 plants ; this is a splendid 

 wind-break without which the Nursery would suffer very severely 

 during the dry and windy time of the year. 



Pot Plants. — The number of pot plants has not been increased except 

 to supply the places of those sold, but the quality is steadily improving. 



The old glass shed kept for raising Begonias, tender seeds, etc., had 

 to be taken down and rebuilt as it had nearly fallen to pieces. 



The Orchid house which was formerly situated between the row of 

 Pithecolobium duke and the large Divi-Divi trees had become much too 

 dark in consequence of the rapid growth of these trees and was ac- 

 cordingly taken down and re-erected in a part of the Nursery where no 

 trees overhang it. The plant-stand which was formerly at the side of 

 the glass house was turned round and placed against the row of 

 Pithecolobiums, the old glass shed having been re-erected on the opposite 

 side, this leaves a fine broad walk, between the pot plants under the 

 Divi-Divi and those on the stage by the Pithecolobiums. 



Tree Ferns. — -These are growing perfectly ; six large ones have been 

 planted out on the east side of the Fernery and are doing as well as they 

 would in their native woods. Near the large Spathodea four small tree 

 ferns and a quantity of other ferns have been planted on a piece of land 

 that has hitherto been very unsightly. 



Fern House. — All the ferns in the fern house are in perfect condition, 

 the remodelling at the end of last year has been quite successful. 



The Tropical African and Madagascar Section. — This piece of land, 

 rough and stony and very uneven, 7 acres in extent, has been cleared of 

 stones, roots, weeds and trees ; it has been nicely levelled, planted with 

 Bahama grass, and the following trees have been put out : 

 In the Madagascar Section — 

 Ravenala madagascariensis. 

 Musa coccinea. 

 Pandanus utilis. 

 Chrysalidocarpus lutescens. 

 Dypsis madagascariensis. 

 In the African Section — 



Stevensonia grandifolia. 

 Elseis guineensis. 

 Camoensia maxima. 

 Kigelia pinnata. 



and eight undetermined Tropical African plants lately received from 

 Hew, also a plant of Musa sapientum var. rubra received from Kew. 



