THIRD REPORT OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN BOARD, APPOINTED UNDER AN ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1872 Session I, G-39

a.—No. 39.

THIRD REPORT OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN BOARD, APPOINTED UNDER AN ACT OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OP THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, BY COMMAND OP HIS EXCELLENCY.

WELLINGTON.

1872.

THIRD ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN BOARD.

The Board has met four times during the past year, the practical superintendence of the Gardens having been remitted to a Sub-Committee appointed for that purpose. The statement of the accounts appended shows the mode in which the funds at the disposal of the ■Board, daring the past year, have been expended. The action which was recommended by the Board in their last Report, relative to the management of the Recreation Reserves in Wellington, was given effect to by an Act of the General Assembly, which provides for the conveyance to the Board of a large part of the Wesleyan Reserve, increasing the area which they will have to maintain to upwards of eighty acres. A Bill is now before the Legislature, providing, among other things, for the payment to the Board of a share of the proceeds of rents from the Town Belt; but as this Act has not yet passed, and as some considerable time must expire before any revenue can accrue to the Board from this source, the Board still feel some anxiety lest the funds at their disposal should, in the meantime, be inadequate to maintain the Garden, and to enable them to undertake the additional work required to fence in and improve the area now added to the original domain. The cost for the future annual maintenance may be estimated at £250, and the amount required for fencing and improving the additional area at about £300. G. F. Bowen, Wellington, 19th September, 1872. President.

ACCOUNTS OF BOTANIC GARDENS, from 11th August, 1871, to 31st August, 1872.

SECRETARY'S REPORT. Paths. —The expenditure on paths has been for cleaning and widening the existing paths where necessary. Nursery.— The item, £33 18s. 6d., for nursery work, includes the preparation of pits in which seedlings are raised, purchase of 121 dozen of flower pots, purchase of timber for drains and fencing, and cost of permanent work. Garden Work. —Under this head, £220 10s. 7d., is included all payments of wages and small contracts for trenching, draining, and planting. A belt along the Tinakorißoad has been thoroughly trenched and planted as a shrubbery, which is also continued up the main walk from the entrance. All the principal spurs have now been planted with the trees and shrubs enumerated in the attached schedule, there having now been planted out in the gardens 1,786 coniferous trees and cypresses, and 764 miscellaneous trees and shrubs. The Native bush in the gullies has been under-brushed, and the dead portions removed, so as to preserve it from damage. The flat space near the entrance that was formerly used as a nursery ground, has now been. thoroughly drained and laid down in lawn grass, and the nursery operations confined to the gully and to two patches at the back of the gardener's cottage, which have been trenched and fenced in for seedling beds. _ Ten pits, each 10 X 7 feet, have been used for raising the Goniferce seed that was obtained from California last year through Professor Killog. The seed proved to be in excellent order, and came up freely in every case : about 22,000 seedlings were raised, but, through accident and destruction by the magpies, not much more than half that number will be available for distribution. _ One thousand two hundred and sixty of the most valuable of these have been potted, the pots having chiefly been made in Wellington by Maslem and Co., who are able to supply them at 2s. per dozen.

Receipts. Expenditure. lalance in hand, 11th August, 1871 £ s. d. 56 17 10 For Paths For Nursery (including pots, frames, &e.) Garden Work (including Keeper's wages and extra labour) Purchase of Plants, Seeds, &c. Digging Holes for Plants Labels for Trees Miscellaneous items Balance in hand £ s. d. 7 0 0 33 18 6 220 10 7 37 1 0 21 18 3 5 0 0 8 10 4 22 19 2 rote for 1871-72 300 0 0 £356 17 10 £356 17 10 17th September, 1872. Walteb Mantell, Treasurer.

The remainder of the seedlings have been pricked out in lines, and sheltered with brusli fencing. Purchase of Plants. —The item for purchase of plants, is chiefly for choice Coniferee, that were selected by Mr. Ludlam in Australia, and sent from there in excellent order, so that most of them, could be at once planted out. 30th August, 1872. James Hectoe.

LIST of PLANTS planted in the Botanic Gardens during 1871-72.

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TLIIRD ANNUAL EEPORT OF

Description. No. on Label. No. of each variety planted. Habitat. Description. No. on Label. No. of each Variety planted. H_-.t_t. CONIPEK-S. Pinus insignia „ Torrey ana „ Sabiniana „ tuberculata „ muricata „ Halepensis „ Benthamiana ... ,, Austraica „ pumilio „ maritima „ sylvestris „ longifolia 1 2 3 4 5 6 13 14 361 73 58 50 50 117 76 24 1 53 68 6 California. jj _ Europe. California. Austria. Hungary. Europe. Scotland. Himalaya Mountains. California. Canary Islands. Europe. Corsica. Prenella cupressiformis „ eolumellaris ... Eetinospora ericoides ... „ filifera ,, obtusa „ obtusa compacta ,, pisifera ... „ plumosa ... ,, squarrosa Taxus baccata ,, fastigiata Thujopsis borealis ,, dolabrata ... ,, lsetevirens ... 6 6 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 Japan. Japan. Europe. 16 17 18 BehringsStraitJapan- „ Coulteri ,, Canariensis „ pinaster „ laricio ,, strobus „ pinea Wellingtonia gigantea Abies excelsa „ coerulea ,, rubra Cupressus torulosa 19 26 22 7 8 9 2 12 62 38 12 30 48 44 6 1 22 South Europe. California. Norway. Garden hybrid. Ml! Cerasus Lusitanica ... ,, laurelia Berberis Escallonia macrantha... Euonymus Europseus ... Populus argentea Viburnum tinus „ opulus ,, Japonicum... TJlmus eampestris Torreya micefera Spirsea coryrnbosa Hibiscus Quercus (and 2 pecks of acorns) Yucca Azalea indica Aralia papyrifera Bambusa nigra !CEL_ SEOCS. 2 10 4 10 28 81 4 28 6 1 2 60 1 39 Portugal. Great Britain. N. Ameriea. Chili. Britain. "io Himalaya Mountains. California. China. S. Europe. Great Britain. Japan. Europe. „ Lawsoniana „ Comeyana ... „ Knightii „ Lambertiana „ macrocarpa „ Bentliamiana „ Lusitanica... ,, Goveniana... p „ excelsa 12 21 27 28 29 33 43 9 9 3 239 2 1 6 12 12 California. » 2 30 24 25 24 15 Australia. Cape of Good Hope. Portugal. China. Cape of Good Hope. Japan. California. Bignonia Capensis Himalayas. Great Britain. Cape of Good Hope. Thuja Craigiana „ lobbii „ auria ,, Lonniana „ Orientalis (Arbor vitse) Cryptomeria Lobbi ,, elegans ... Larix Europsea Cedrus Deodara 11 32 9 10 3 3 48 Amaryllis belladonna Tropseolum pentaphyllum Tilia Europo_a (Lime)... Camelia Japonica* Rhododendron (varieties) Magnolia grandiflora ... 50 30 Japan. South America. Europe. 4 100 70 Great Britain. 20 3 3 38 22 China. America- „ Atlantica ,, Libani Araucaria excelsa „ Bidwillii ... 23 24 25 14 6 7 20 Tyrol. Himalaya Mountains. Mount Atlas. Mt. Lebanon. Norfolk Island. Wide Bay, Australia. Moreton Bay. New Caledonia Chili. „ fuscata Orevillea robusta Podocarpus spinulosus Gardenia Fortuni „ florida Olea fragrans ,, Americana Pittrocolobium sp. Ficus macrophylla Ilex cornuta Osmanthus ilicifolius ... Sterculia acerifolia ,, heterophylla Berberis fascicularis ... ,, Beali Glycine magesperma ... Flowering Peach, rose ,, ,, white ... ,, „ carnation ,, „ camellia Platanus orientalis Deutzia scabia Weigelia amabilis 12 2 4 6 4 4 2 2 4 12 2 2 4 4 2 2 4 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 Carolina, America. China. N.S. Wales. China. >> „ Cunninghamii ,, Cookii ,, imbricata ... ,, glauca Juniperus oxyecdrus ... „ Hibernica ... „ rufescens ... „ Lycia ? Biota Meldensis Cephalotaxus Fortuni... Picea Nordmaniana ... „ balsamea ,, Cephalonioa „ pectinata ,, pinsapo Frenella Gunnii 9 6 10 3 1 2 6 1 1 2 2 1 6 6 12 12 18 America. Moreton Bay. Japan. Spain. Ireland. South Europe. N.S.W. )i California. Japan. China. Hybrid. China. Crimea. » Cephalonia. Spain. OysterBayPeni. Levant. Japan. China. A large a tssortment of cutti; igs, bulbs, roots, seeds, &c >f doors at the Hutt, Wellingti »Eai ied from seei d of plants grown out N.Z.

THE BOTANIC GARDEN BOARD.

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Or. No. 29.

List of Plants raised from Seed. (Of these, 1,270 are in pots and 11,918 are in beds.) Cupresses macrocarpa ... ... ... ... ■•• ••• 410 „ Lawsoniana ... ... ... ... ... ••• 760 „ aurantia ... ... ... ... ■•• ••• 50 McNabiana ... ... ... ... ... •■• 892 „ ? ... ... ... ... ... •■• 36 Pimis insignis ... ... ... ••• •■■ ••• 4,456 „ Benthamiana ... ... ... ... ••• ••• 4,000 „ ponderosa ... ... ... ... •■• ••• 20 „ Sabiniana ... ... ... ... ••• ••• 78 ~ Torreyana ... ... ... ... ... ■•■ 25 ~ Lambertiana ... ... ... ••• ■•• ••• 191 „ tuberculata ... ... ... ••• ••• ••• 144 Wellingtonia gigantea ... ... ... •■• ■•• ■•■ 200 Abies Hookeriana ... ... ... • • • • ■ • •■ • 20 ~ Douglasii ... ... ... ... ••• ••• 816 Sequoia sempervirens ... ... ... ••• ••• ••• 140 Monterey Cypress ... ... ... ... ••■ ••■ 150 West Australian Jarrah ... ... ... ... ■•• ••• H° 12,514 Flax plants, raised from seed ... ... ... ■ ■ • • • ■ 700 Total 13,214 Summaet of Plants Purchased for and Presented to the Botanic Gardens during the Year 1870-71. Purchased Plants. Conifers; ... 1,0921 Miscellaneous ... ... ... ... ••• ■•■ 261 > 1,593 Alpine, New Zealand (per Mr. H. H. Travers) ... ... 240 ) Presented to Gardens. Dr. Hooker, Kew Gardens, 662 species of Seeds Baron Yon Mueller, Melbourne Gardens ... ... ... 86" Mr. Ludlam ... ... ... ... ••• ■■• 506 Thomas Lang and Co., Melbourne (Conifers.) ... ... 262 Hon. Mr. Mantell ... ... ... ... ••• I*s Mr. Mason, Hutt ... ... ... ... ■•• 381 Mr. Drake, Porirua ... ... ... ... ••• 48 Dr. Hector ... ... ... ••■ ■•• 167 Mrs. Symmons, Wellington ... ... ... ... 90, 1871 Mr. Gillard, Wellington ... ... ... ... •■• 48 r ' Mrs. J. Kebbell, Wellington Mr. Seed, Wellington Mrs. Gillon ... ... ... ... ••• 30 Mr. Donald, Karori ... ... ... ... ■•• 48 Mr. Huntley, Wellington Mr. Brandon, Wellington ... ... Mr. Quick, Wellington ... ... ... ... ••• 60J By General Government, Mulberry Trees ... ... ... ■•• 150 By Flax Commissioners, Flax Plants ... ... ... ... 255 Plants rajsed from seeds (including Conifera., Flax, &c.) ... ... 13,2.14 Total ' 1^,083