AK'.oTTI BOTANICAL GARDENS AND THE FLORA OF MALTA. 56.0 



In 1827 Dr. Stephanus Zerapha was appoints! Professor of Natiiral 

 History and Medical Jurisprudence at the University, and director of the 

 Botanic Garden. About 1855 the Botanic Garden proper was transferred 

 to another place in Floriana, where the old palace and grounds of Bailiff 

 Argotti stood. During the governorship of Sir William Reid, souk; 1800 

 were expended towards the improving and laying-out of beds in these 

 grounds. A very limited space, one-tbird of an acre, was, however, allotted 

 to the Botanic Garden, and the rest, together with the Maglio, withdrawn 

 from thecontrol of the Professor of Botany. During the Professorship of 

 Dr. G. C. Grech Delicata, 1851) 70, things were left unchanged ; and no 

 new start was given to the Botanic Garden before 1870, when Professor 

 G. Gulia was appointed Professor of Natural History and Medical Juris 

 prudence at the University, as well as Director of the Botanic Garden. 



In 1880 a step in the right direction was taken by the Government, 

 on the recommendation of Professor Gulia, to put the Botanic Garden 

 on a sound footing, by allowing si, vote of expenditure of £'200 for the pur- 

 pose of importing plants and constructing a greenhouse. In 1882 the 

 Botanic Garden received a yearly grant of £50 whereby to meet all 

 requirements. In 1885 the staff of the Botanic Garden, consisting of one 

 keeper, two gardeners, and one labourer, was transferred from the Public 

 Works to the Education Department. 



On April '22, 1800, I assumed direction of the- Botanic Garden, and on 

 my repeated requests it was (on February 1, 1892; extended to the whole 

 of the Argotti Gardens, and styled " Argotti Botanical Gardens." Since; 

 then they have only been a teaching place for students of medicine. The 

 public in general did not derive any benefit from them, and Government 

 was therefore very little inclined, not only to increase the grant,, but even 



to pay for its maintenance, so much so that I had to undertake the culti- 

 vation of the extended grounds on the self-supporting system, out of the 

 propped! of sale of plants, bulbs, flowers, .vc On January 1, 1801, at the 

 suggestion of the Auditor-General, and contrary to my views, the income, 

 which was then £150, was appropriated by the Treasury and an increase 

 of £60 was carried to the vote of expenditure. 



In 1807 the wooden roof structure of the greenhouse, being nearly 

 worn out, was renewed and heightened. Not a year later, on October 18, 

 1898, Malta was visited by a very severe hailstorm which caused all the panes 

 of glass to be broken into many pieces. The collection of plants suffered 

 a great deal ; many, among which was a fine collection of Selaginellas, 

 were killed outright, while the rest bad to be massed under cover for fully 

 three winter months before glass could be available at a reasonable price. 



Some of the plants cultivated under glass have now made a rapid 

 growth, especially Pa/ndarms utiUs, the top of which reached the glass 

 and has necessitated the construction of a large greenhouse, the north 

 wing of which is nearly ready for use. 



Appendix** 



1. The ditch of St. Klmo lies to -the north-east extremity of Valetta, 

 quite close to the Hospital of the Order of St. John, now the Station 

 Hospital for the garrison. 



* Iiy th': I'iftv. I'rofeMOf Henalow, V.M.I J. 



