302 



Free Grants. 



Economic Plants : — 



Miscellaneous (including Timber and shade trees) 10,951 



Ramie roots ... ... 16,024 



Ornamental Plants ... ... 4,214 



Total number of Economic Plants Distributed 147,751 



Ornamental « " ... 18,443 



Total number of Plants Distributed ... 166,194 



Eucalypti Plants distributed Free ... 2,281 



168,475 



Visitors. 



The number of Visitors to the gardens were from March 1st, 1897, 

 to March 31st, 1898, 18,071. 



The elevation of the garden is 700 feet above sea-level. 



The average annual mean temperature is 71.6*^ F., and the average 

 annual rainfall 52.18 inches for seventeen years. The amount of rain 

 that fell during the year was 62.39 inches. The wettest months were 

 May, September, October, and the driest were December, January and 

 March. The mean temperature for the year was 77.3® F. The 

 Meteorological Tables for the different months are given on page 317. 



CaSTLETON GrARDENS. 



The following Report is by Mr. William Thompson, Superinten- 

 dent : — 



The walks have received the usual attention, and have been kept 

 free from weeds, etc.. The heavy rains in the Autumn, caused extra 

 work in replacing soil and gravel that had been washed off. The old 

 stone gutters have been dug out and replaced in concrete. 



New fencing has been erected several chains in length, and the old 

 fencing has been repaired. The fence on each side of the main road is 

 in need of new posts. This will be expensive, as good hard wood posts 

 are needed. 



The lawns, verges, grass-pieces and pastures have received the usual 

 attention and are in good condition. Most of the narrow turf verges 

 have been widened. 



The beds and borders of mixed plants have had the soil well forked 

 and manured. Several shrubs have been transplanted and other 

 plants, trees and climbers have been pruned. Many border plants 

 were planted out. The plan has been adopted of putting into separate 

 beds collections of such plants as Dracaenas, Ixoras, Hibiscus, etc. 



Two royal palms, Oreodoxa regia, have been planted at each side the 

 main entrance ; two plants of Lagerstroemia Flos-reginae have been, 

 planted on two conspicuous hills on the north west side of the garden, 

 also a royal palm on the lawn in front of the office in commemoration 

 of Her Majesty's Jubilee of 1897. 



A number of young trees, palms, climbers and shrubs have been 

 planted, most of them being new to the garden : — see list of plants 

 planted out. 



Several tree-ferns have been planted out in different parts of the 

 garden. A number of young trees of kinds in the garden already, 

 that grow very large, have been planted in the outer parts of tte 



