BOTANIC AND DOMAIN GARDENS. 
17 
September last. Seeds were germinated from one of our own plants of 
Encephalartos Altensteini — “ the Gaffer bread tree.” 
I have also in contemplation the formation of beds in which the 
principal fodder plants suitable for the Colony may be shown, and near 
to them specimens of the various poison plants known to Australia. 
Such a classification cannot fail to prove highly interesting. 
The numbers of plants either quite new to the Gardens, or replacing 
such as were lost in former years, from June 1873 to the present date 
are as follows : — Genera and Species 1,213 (of this number about 120 
may be considered reintroductions). Varieties and subvarieties 1,884. 
Total 3,097. 
A Rosery is among the contemplated improvements, and will be 
created directly time and circumstances permit. I have secured a 
splendid selection of roses, and trust to make the collection of this queen 
of flowers a very attractive feature of the Gardens. The cultivation of 
such beautiful flowers as Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Camellias, &c., in 
public gardens is attended with a great amount of anxiety and care. 
Wo have some very choice specimens, and 1 hope in time to make a good 
display, though the buds of the Camellias planted out have at present 
to be rubbed off, to prevent pilferers damaging the young and delicate 
plants ; also to allow the shrubs time to attain a vigorous growth. A 
large amount of work, attended with some very practical results, has 
been accomplished in the Botanic Gardens’ laboratory during the year. 
Collections of fibres were prepared and forwarded to the Queensland 
and Sydney Exhibitions. Among the more interesting exhibits 
despatched to Sydney were several novel fibres, such as Buddlea 
saligna, Bromelia sylvestris (wild pine apple); Buonapartea junceci 
(Peruvian hemp, yielding a splendid fibre) ; Cordyline robust a (Strong 
Palm Lily); Cyperus papyrus ( u the paper reed” of theancient Egyptians). 
Its valuable qualities as a fibre were first shown in this exhibit. It 
affords a fibre of firm, fine texture, closely resembling that yielded by 
Typha angustifolia. The qualities of the latter plant as a fibre were 
also first shown in the exhibits recently sent from these Gardens to the 
Amsterdam and Philadelphia Exhibitions. Its common name is the 
“ native bullrush ” or “ Cat's tail.” It was stated in a late number of 
“ The Garden ,” that a company had been formed in France, with a 
large paid up capital, for the erection of machinery to convert the fibre 
of this Typha into textile fabrics. This, therefore, is another plant 
which might be extensively cultivated in this Colony, with important 
financial results. The Victorian Taper sedge, giving a very fine and 
