BOTANIC GARDENS, SYDNEY.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 588, 3 December 1851, Page 4

BOTANIC GARDENS, SYDNEY.

Letter from the Director of the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, to the Colonial Secretary. Botanic Gardens, Sydney, February 1, 1851. Sir, — I have the bonour to submit, for tbe information of Ilia Excellency the Governor, a Report of this Establishment, and an account of my proceedings for the past year. The puncipal alterations made in the garden since I last had the honour of communicating to you on this subject, have been widening and altering the course of some of the gravel walks, breaking up and laying down others in tuif, clearing away the greater part of the hedge and useless stoclc contained in a portion of ground situated on the right hand of the lower garden, formerly used as a nursery, and throwing the whole space into an open promenade. These alterations have much increased the beauty and harmony of the grounds, without injuring or disturbing any established plants required to be retained. In proceeding to carry out an important improvement commenced last year, viz., the completion of the botanical arrangements accordiug to the Natural and Artificial systems, space would only enable me to illustrate three of the grand classes of the former ; the orders of these, of which there were types, are neatly grouped together, showing their affinities, and divided off by belts of turf three feet in width. The whole of the classes of the latter, or Lynnean system, have been represented; by this means I trust the character of the gaiden will be raised as a scientific establishment, and affoid greater facilities for the study of botany. Considerable progress has been made in the erection of the sea-wall, but, in consequence of being obliged to lay down a deep foundation, and the I expense of procuring stone having exceeded my expectation, the sum of £100, placed at my disposal for the performance of this work, has been found totally inadequate to compabs its completion. This I very seriously regret, not only on account of the unsightly appearance of this parr of the grounds, but because when finished I shall be enabled to extend the natural arrangement, and also grow, with some chance of success, in this cool moist situation, the plants indigenous to the colony, the cultivation of which has hitherto proved a failure in the garden. In this work nothing can be done until the whole space proposed to be taken in is bhut out fjom the sea, and filled up to the level of high-water mark. To accomplish this a greater amount of labour will be requned than can be bestowed upon it from the usual strength of the establishment. I would therefore moat respectfully submit, for the consideration of His Excellency, the propriety of placing on the supplementary estimates for the present year a sum sufficient to enable me to finish it. The applications for certain descriptions of vine cuttings have been numerous, especially for those sorts receixed last year from Germany , the whole of these, with the exception of a few plants of each sort kept for stock, have been distributed. The demaad for olive plants and cuttings was limited, a circumstance the more surprising, as theie cannot now be a doubt of its suitableness for this climate, and, next to the vine, it might be made the mos>t profitable for cultivation : of this the public will have a good opportunity of judging, by observing the crop on the trees in the Botanic Garden this year. Many of the seeds received from the Public Gardens in England and elsewhere, acknowledged in my Report of last year, have vegetated ; among them a large number of the grasses peculiar to Britain. 1 have caused these to be transplanted into a plot of ground prepared in the General Arrangement for this tribe of plants, with a view of ascertaining how many of tliebe will prove of sufficient value in this climate to be recommend for cultivation. Some species of Braseica (cabbage tribe), natives of India and China, the seeds of which are said

to yield a valuable oil, have grown very freely, and produced seed enough for distribution. The seeds of the Teak-tree Hectona giandis), s.-nt at mv request in nccoi dance with a suggestion from the Governmpnt, from the Calcutta Botanic Garden, have not yet vegetated, but as the seeds appear quite fresh, and have been sown with strict refeienoe to the instructions contained in the offici.il documents on this subject forwarded to me some time ago, I have a strong hope of soon being able to introduce this valuable timber tree into cultivation in this colony. Tlip donations of plants and seeds which have bepn made from this Garden to the vaiious public and private establishments, in this and the neighbouring colonies, a-* well as in England, have, in many instances, produced most liberal returns, which 1 have taken leave to particulau&e in an Appendix to this Report. I cannot pei mit this opportunity so escape without expressing to His Excellency that the accommodation for propagating and nursing a young stock of plants., particularly those of tropical origin, is much too limited, and to thib cause, more than to any other, mubt be attributed the veiv small number of genera and species in this collection that are natives of wanner countries ; at present the only means I have for the preservation^ of these plants is one glass-roofed house, tbirtj-eight feet in length, a space not sufficient /or seeds alone. It tieing desirable to test, by cultivation, the qualities of buch plarts as are indig nous to the colony anil uted by the Aborigines as articles of food, or in the arts, or for medicinal purposes, I would respectfully invite all person*, particularly those residing in the interior, to forwaid plants or seeds of whatever pioductions of thit> description may be growing in the districts in which they reside, stating 1 by letter, at tin 1 same time, the native or local name of each, and for what purposes they aie employed. In return, I shall be happy to make an equivalent exchange of whatever this garden can afford. With a view of collecting plants among the islands of the South Seas, 1 sailed trorn Sydney in July last, in 11. M.5. Havannah, taking with me glazdd cases for plants, and mate-ials for collecting seeds and specimens. During the progress of the cruise, I landed <it Auckland, and in Wangaro.i Bay, New Zealand, upon the it-lands of Aniteuin, Tanna, Erromanga, Vateai, and Rlallicolla, in the New Hebrides Group; also upon Yamkolri or La Perouse Islands, one of the Queen Charlotte Group; at Balade, Jengen, Nicked, and Canalla, on the east side, and at Jetema, on the west side of New Caledonia; but owing to suffering severely from the poisonous effects of a species of Cas>bew Nut, collected at Vamkola, 1 was unable to take advantage of the vessel's touching at the Solomon Isles. When at Auckland I received great assistance, and much valuable information relative to the flora of New Zealand, from the Colonial Secretary, Dr. Sinclair, and Robert Lynd, Esq., of the Ordnance ; with thos,e gentlemen I made arrangements for an equitable exchange of plants and specimens, which, I am happy to state, has already been pi oductive of good results. The oppoitumties I had for examining the vegetation of the interior of the other islands upon which I landed were very slight, with one exception, when I had the satisfaction of crossing the island of Amteum, in company with Captain Erskme, whose inteie^t in the success of my labours was only second to my own. On this occasion I collected types of genera which were not to be found on the coast ; in fact, the vegetation inland was of a totally different character ; it was therefore a matter of extreme regret that I was unable to penetiate into the interior of the other islands. On the coast of these, however, I found sufficient to employ my time profitably, and I availed myself of every means to collect such plants as were either interesting from their novelty, or valuable for purposes of economy, and the result of my labours has been the accumulation of a vast number of plants, some quite new, and others chiefly known from dried specimens, and I am gratified in being able to state that these have been inspected by Members of the Committee of Management, who are the best able to judge of then value, all of whom have expres&ed their entiie approval of my pioceedings, as well as their satisfaction in my success. And I would finally express a confident hope that His Excellency will be satisfied that dining my absence from the colony my time has been speut with advantage to botanical science, and to the benefit and usefulness of this establishment. 1 have the honour to be, Sir, Your very obedient servant, Charles Moonr. The Honorable the Colonial Secretary. ABORIGINES OF NEW ZEALAND.