JAMA ICA. 



BULLETIN. 



OF THE 



BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. 



New Series.] DECEMBER, 1897. ^litli 



Report of the Director on the Department of Public Gardens and Plan- 

 tations for the Tear ended 31st March, 1897. 



Contents : 





Page. 



I. On the Gardens 



265 



II. Educational 





Practical Instruction 



268 



Schools 



269 



Hope Industrial School ... 



269 



Reports by Instructor ... 



271 



III. Staff 





Assistants in Herbarium 



276 



IV. Diseases of Plants 





Coffee 



277 



Coco-nut, etc. 



279 



V. Herbarium 



280 



VI. Library 



282 



VII. Reports of Superintendents... 



.283 



VIII. Meteorological Tables 



" 305 



ON THE GARDENS. 

 Hope Gardens. 



In my Report for the year ended 31 st March, 1892, 1 stated that the 

 total number of plants distributed from Castleton Garden during the 

 previous 12^ years amounted to 220,000. During this past single year 

 about 26 t,000 plants have been sent out from Hope Gardens alone 

 which is now the chief distributing centre. To grow and distribute in 

 one year more than a quarter of a million of plants is a large nursery 

 business, especially as the plants are not at all of one kind, but very 

 varied in every respect. 



A packing shed is very much required to protect those who are put- 

 ting up the plants from the rains, as it is mainly during the " seasons" 

 that plants are distributed. A seed-house is also required for growing 

 seedlings in. 



Attention is being paid to getting the right kind of shade trees hx 

 the Nursery, as too dense a shade weakens the plants. 



