april — june 1857.] Observations on Provincial Exhibitions. 79 



rather than a Botanical Qarden, though it might be appropriately 

 placed under the superintendence of the Professor of Botany with 

 the aid of a well educated gardener who would more readily learn 

 the peculiarities of Indian culture than any one not so educated. 

 This is well evidenced in the case of Mr. Mclvor, now in charge of 

 the Garden at Ootacamund, and whom I selected out of several 

 candidates, as he combined in the highest degree, a knowledge of 

 the principles with the practices of Horticulture. 



Though fresh Botanical investigations do not seem to me to be 

 necessary at present, it is very different with Mineralogical and 

 Geological enquiries, for the Madras Presidency is filled with 

 mountainous ranges which abound in Geological treasures, a cor- 

 rect knowlege of which as of the Rock formation, is greatly re- 

 quired. For this purpose one or two qualified persons might well 

 be appointed ; and if one excelled as a Geologist, the other should 

 be well qualified as a Mineralogist, having sufficient knowledge of 

 Chemistry, to be able to give a good account of the various soils 

 which might be met with. All such information would be practically 

 useful by affording data for the improvement of the Agriculture of 

 the several Provinces. 



