BOTANIC AND DOMAIN GARDENS. 
i 
Drainage with stones (known as French drainage) is far more effective 
in some places than pipes \ and I have adopted the former in portions 
of the piece newly added to the Gardens. Drainage of ground in 
general is very necessary for the proper cultivation of plants. Since 
the Botanic Garden was drained, nearly two years ago, there has been a 
vast improvement in the growth of trees. Though some of the trees 
had been struggling for existence for upwards of seventeen years they 
have since made rapid progress. In the French drainage stones are put 
on end, and built up two feet in the trench, and this is by far the best 
system to adopt in swampy ground, as the moisture percolates through 
and keeps the ground free from stagnant water. This has been exem- 
plified in the Garden around the Director’s house. 
The white gravel formerly in use for paths in the Botanical Gardens 
was objectionable, not only from its glare, but from the fact of its 
remaining disintegrated and absorbing much water during wet weather, 
thus becoming sloppy and heavy. With the view of remedying this 
defect, I endeavoured to discover a gravel bed in the Gardens which 
might be utilised in forming the new paths ; and after three attempts in 
sinking holes for this purpose, fortunately discovered a bed of fine orange 
colored gravel, which has been freely used in constructing the new 
walks in the Gardens. This gravel, after a time becomes hard as 
cement, and makes a firm dry footway, while its color harmonises most 
agreeably with the surrounding vegetation. 
The Lake in the Botanical Gardens has been kept thoroughly clear of 
weeds by the T-shaped machine, armed with scythe-blades, which I 
designed, and which was described in my last annual report. The clear 
sheet of water now takes its proper place as one of the salient points in 
the landscape ; and when the remodelling of the Gardens is complete, 
will prove a most important and attractive feature in the views to be 
obtained from various points. During the intensely hot weather, when 
the lake was nearly dry, advantage was taken of the opportunity to 
obtain a large quantity of manure from it, for general use in the Gardens. 
The bottom of this lake contains a deposit of rich manure, decayed 
vegetation having been continually conveyed into it, down the slopes, 
which are drained by it ; and it would be very advisable on a fitting 
occasion, to deepen the lake, when enough soil of a rich description 
would be obtained to heighten the low ground at its head. Rhododen- 
drons, Magnolias, Azaleas, &c., would look well on the islands which 
stud this lake ; and it is my intention to plant a few there this season. 
Several specimens of the gorgeous scarlet flowering Eucalyptus Ficifolia , 
