June i, 1888. THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
821 
of economic interest could be imported for experimental 
cultivation, and from which, in turn, they could be 
issued for distribution in the Company's possessions. 
It was also intended to assist in introducing indigenous 
Indian products to new markets. It was intended that 
it should not only bo a botanical, but also a horti- 
cultural and agricultural garden. The preceding 
paragraph shows how the botanical work laid out for 
the garden has been accomplished. But the economic 
side has by no means being neglected. At first, great 
hopes were entertained that the spices which rendered 
the trade of the Company with the Moluccas and 
other of the Malayan Islands so valuable, might be 
cultivated in Bengal. The earliest efforts of Colonel 
Kyd were therefore directed to the introduction of the 
trees which yield nutmegs, cloves and cinnamon, 
and of the pepper vines. It was, however, speedily 
proved that the climate of Northern India is quite 
ununited to these equatorial species. The equatorial 
fruits, such as mangosteen, laugaat, dukko and 
bread-fruit, weru also tried with a similar result ; and 
so were the temperate fruits of Europe. In fact, no 
small part of the benefits conferred on the country by 
the garden in its early dayB was the demonstration 
by practical experiment that certain natural products, 
many of them of a most desirable kind, cannot bo 
grown in Bengal ; much money and bootless effort 
being thud saved to the country. The introduction of 
exotic timber trees also received early attention ; and 
in the garden there still remain a few of the original 
mahogany trees introduced in these early years. The 
introduction of tea was one of the items put down in 
Colonel Kyd's original programme ; and in the final 
establishment of what has now become one of the 
most important industries in Northern India, the 
gaidon bore a most important part. Potato growing 
was introduced through its agency, aud the cultiva- 
tion of the quinine-yielding Cinchonas of the Andes 
was initialed and carried to a successful issue uuder 
tin' direction of Superintendents of this garden. In 
the improvement of Indian cotton, and in tho intro- 
duction both of that and of jute to the markets of 
Europe, the garden authorities worked cordially baud 
in haud with the Agri-Horticultural Society of India, 
with what success it is unnecessary to point out. By 
the introduction of some of tho best kinds of sugarcane 
from the West Indies, aud tho dissemination of these 
to all parts ot^tho country, a considerable improvement 
was effected botli on the quality and quantity of tho 
sugar crop of the- o mntry. In this matter also the 
Agri-Horticultural Society worked hand in hand with 
the garden authorities. Very soon after the establish- 
ment of the Society just montionod, a considerable 
piece of land in the garden was made over to it rent- 
free, aud on this land the Society conducted the 
greater part of its operations for forty years. In fact, 
it was not until tho year 1872 that tho Society's garden 
wa.s transferred to its present site in Aliporo. It is 
unnecessary to discuss in detail the numerous experi- 
ments m the cultivation of economic plants which 
have been condueted in the garden sine-' its beginning. 
A few of the products tried may simply bo mentioned. 
Chief among these aro flax, hemp, tobacco, henbane, 
vanilla, coffee (.Vrabian and Liherian), cocoa, ipecacu- 
anha, aloes, Mr 85 pa rill a, jalap, India-rubber, carda- 
moms, tapioca, and coca. As regards horticulture, 
it may siilllco to say that a largo proportion of the 
kinds of exotic plants now found in private gardens 
in India hi^ been iutro luetcd to the country th.m;h 
the agency of this garden, and that the improved 
methods of cultivation which now obtain wore to a 
great extent initiated here. 
3. In 1820 about fifty acres of land belonging to the 
garden were made over by Government to thn S.icioty 
tur the Propagation of Christiau Knowledge. And 
on this laud tho Soeioty founded tho institution no 
long kuown as Bishop's College, but since 1 Ssi t 
(owing to its retransfer to Government) as tho 
Government Kngineering College. In the year 
isr.-l tho garden was devastated by a cyclonic 
storm of extraordinary! violence, which either 
uprooted or brok" to pieces th» majority of the tree* 
in it, aud, by blowiug down all tho plaut-houses, hope. 
lessly crushed their contents. The few trees which 
escaped on that occasion were s idly reduced in num- 
ber by a second cyclone which passed over the garden 
in 1867 ; and, at the present time, almost the only 
trees dating from before 1867 are the great banyan 
and a smaller tree of the same sort, some peepuls 
and country almonds, about twenty mahogany trees 
and some palms. It, is almost a pity that the occa- 
sion of its destruction by these cyclones was not 
taken to remove the garden to a site on the 
Calcutta side of the Hooghly- For, although thore are 
certain advantages in the garden being so remote 
from the town, there can be little doubt that the 
balance is in favour of a site more easily accessible to 
the residents of Culcutta. The destruction of all shade, 
which resulted from the removal of the trees, allowed 
the inveterate weed known popularly as ooloo grass 
and botauically as Imperata cyl.hi/lrica to take pos- 
session of the whole of the ground not occupied by 
roads or flower borders ; so that when I took charge 
of the garden in 1871 it presented rather a sorry 
appearance. The liberality of the local Government, 
under whose control it soon thereafter passed, has 
made it possible for me to lay out the garden entirely 
anew. Thewhole of its area has since that date been 
treated for landscape effects, sheets of ornamental 
water having been formed, and, with the earth so 
obtained, undulations having been thrown up. New 
roads and footpaths have also been made ; a building 
for the Herbarium and three handsome conservatories for 
the more delicate kinds of living plants have been erected j 
nursery buildings have been put up ; and the garden 
staff have been furnished with comfortable houses, 
4. Botanically the most important feature iu the 
garden is its Herbarium, or collection of dried plants. 
As has already been explained, all the collections prior 
to Dr. Wallich's visit to England in 1828 were distri- 
buted by him to scientific institutions abroad. The 
commencement of the present collection dates, there- 
fore, from his return to India in 1832. It consists of 
plants contributed by almost every worker at Bot- 
any iu India since that date, and of considerable con- 
tributions from Botanists in Europe. It is first and 
foremost an Indian Herbarium, but the plauts of 
South-Eastern Asia, of Japan, of Persia and of Asia 
Minor are fairly well represented. Those of Europe 
also excellently represented ; but in African and 
American plants the collection is comparatively poor. 
Constant communication and interchange of specimens 
have been kept up for tho last fifty years with the 
great national collection at Kew ; aud to the distin- 
guished Directors of that institution, Sir William 
Hooker and his sou and successor Sir Joseph, the Cal- 
cutta Herbarium is indebted for invaluable contri- 
butions. Interchanges have also been kept up with 
other European Botanic Institutions, such as tho 
Herbarium of tho British Museum, of the Jardin des 
riantes, Paris, the Imperial Gardens at St. Petersburg 
and Berlin, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Buiteuzorg 
in Java, at Peradeuiya iu Ceylon, and at Saliaranpore ; 
and with many other institutions. Amongst the 
private contributors iu past times from whom tho 
Herbarium has received the most valuable collections 
must be mentioned Vicary, Klgeworth, Critnth, 
Wight, Simons, Low, Gibson, Stocks, Dulzoll, Kurz, 
Miquel, and Maingay. The most importaut contri- 
butions received during recent years have been duly 
mentioned in my annual reports. 
5. The year which endod on 31st March last present- 
ed little of novelty. No now works were uudortakeu 
in the gardon, and the time of the ststf was occupied 
in tho ordinary routine of cultivation. The show of 
orchids was unusually li ie, aud the general condition 
of the plants, both in the conservatories aud out of 
doors, was satisfactory. 
6. The collection of dried plants received sov. ral 
valuable additions during the year. Chief auiongM 
these was a sot of the plants e dh eted by Dr. Aivhi-ou 
during the Afghan Bouudiry Commission, Dr. Aitehi- 
son's collections were taken by himself direct to Kew, 
whence, after b wine been named and numbered, n 
set was issued to Calcutta. From K--w were also 
received a named eot of plants collected by Dr. Gilet 
