A.—No. la.

64

DESPATCHES EROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE

provided that an estimate is first sent to the Commissioners, and a definite amount authorized by them. Henry T. D. Scott, Colonel, E.E., Secretary. Office of Her Majesty's Commissioners for the Exhibition of 1851, Kensington Gore, Bth August, 1871.

No. 94. Copy of a DESPATCH from the Right Hon. Earl of Kimbekley to Governor Sir G. P. Bowen, G.C.M.G. (Circular.) Sib, — Downing Street, 2nd September, 1871. I transmit to you copy of a letter from the India Office relative to a suggestion made by the Lieutenant-Governor of British Honduras, that a continued interchange should take place of the valuable vegetable productions of the British Colonies and Possessions. It appears that such a system of exchange is already practised in India, and it may be worthy of your consideration, whether it might not with advantage be set on foot among the various Colonial Governments, one with another, and each with the Indian authorities. The enclosed memorandum from the Superintendent of the Royal Botanical Gardens at Calcutta, may be of use in the preparation and packing of seeds. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government KIMBERLEY. of New Zealand.

Enclosure in No. 94. Mr. Meeivale to Mr. Hekbeet. Sib, India Office, S.W., 11th August, 1871. I am directed by His Grace the Secretary of State for India in Council to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27th ultimo, and copy of Despatch from the Lieut.-Governor of British Honduras, announcing the steps which he has been obliging enough to take in compliance with the letter from this Department of the 17th April, to obtain seeds of mahogany and logwood for His Excellency the Governor in Council at Madras. Lieut.-Governor Cairns has suggested that a continued interchange of the valuable vegetable productions of the British Colonies should take place, and I am to request that you will move Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies to inform the Lieut.-Governor that such a system ia already practised, with the full approval of the Secretary of State m Council, by the Officers who preside over the several forest administrations in India. lam to state that any application for such interchange which Lieut.-Governor Cairns, or any other Governor of Her Majesty's Colonies, may address to the Governor-General of India, through the Inspector-General of Forests, or to the Governors of Madras and Bombay, through the Conservators of Forests under those Presidencies, will be promptly and cordially responded to. I am, &c, Eobert G. W. Herbert, Esq,. &c. Herman Meriyale.

Extract Letter from T. Anderson, Esq., M.D., Superintendent, Royal Botanical Gardens, Calcutta, to the Secretary to the Government of Bengal. (No. 106, dated 11th December, 1866.) Paragraph 4. * * * The seeds from the West Indies should be packed in dry pounded charcoal, a layer of capsules containing the seeds alternating with a layer of charcoal, and in this method of packing the box should bo as air-tight as possible. For the sake of experiment, one box should contain seeds without the capsules, but also packed in charcoal. It would be as well to send a small quantity of seeds packed securely in paper alone without any box. The seeds should be taken ripe from the trees, and should be packed dry, but without being exposed to the sun. All unnecessary detentions should be guarded against, especially at Southampton. If possible, the seeds should be transferred from the West Indian mail steamer, to the steamer of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company. Two despatches of seed from Jamaica might be made according as the seeds ripen, in case the first despatch fails. The cases of seeds should be addressed to the Secretary to the Government of Madras, and advice of their despatch from the West Indies should be sent to him, vid Marseilles and Bombay.