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the Colony. Judging from plants sold and orders received, it seems that the system of plant sales meets a want of considerable extent, and that if suitable facilities could be created to supply the public with what they require the benefits which they receive by being able to get plants would be much extended. To be able to do this, however, there must be, besides suitable arrangements for growing plants, assistants with sufficient knowledge of plants and their names to be able to attend purchasers in making selections, and an indoor staff with a sufficient knowledge of simple book-keeping to be competent to keep the necessary accounts.
Loan of Plants for Decorative Purposes,
25. There is also a considerable increase of requests preferred for the loan of plants to decorate ball-rooms, concert-rooms, &c., &c., and there is a tendency to extend their use for furnishing to private parties. It will be necessary, however, to somewhat restrict the concessions and confine the loan of plants to purely public entertainments, or to make a charge sufficient to cover the cost of growing plants for these special purposes. 24 requests for plants were complied with, 2,136 being the total number of plants lent. I should not be inclined to recommend any extension, but on the other hand would restrict the loan of plants, as there is already more work in the department than can be managed to my satisfaction with the assistance I have.
Visitors.
26. It is not generally known what a large number of visitors make use of the gardens. With a view to affording an idea of the number who frequent the gardens, I have made arrangements for having the visitors counted on two average days each month throughout this year, the result will be published with the next annual report. In the meantime I may say that the average number of visitors on one day in each month this year, so far as it has gone, has been Europeans 362, others 1,807, total 2,169. The greatest number was on April 8th, when there were 781 Europeans, and of others 3,541, total 4,322. The least number was on February 4th, when there were 213 Europeans and 779 others, total 992. The Chinese are those who attend the gardens in the greatest numbers. It appears that the number of visitors using the gardens is constantly increasing. The above numbers do not include children and their nurses.
HERBARIUM AND LIBRARY.
27. There were absolutely no opportunities for making tours, even by natives, for collecting supplies of living plants for the gardens, or of making collections for the herbarium. There was, however, sufficient material on hand to provide work for the very little time which could be devoted to the dried collections. The work in the herbarium was confined to the drying and preservation of specimens of plants flowering in the gardens during the year for the first time, or which had not already been dried, and the mounting and incorporating in the collections in the cabinets of plants which had been on hand for some time. Of specimens put throughout their last stages and incorporated the number was 1,563.
28. I have pleasure in thanking various contributors for Reports of Gardens, &c., kindly sent to us. The following is the list of books, &c., received :---
Agricultural Gazette, New South Wales. From Forest Administration in Punjab, 1888-89.
Honourable Colonial Secretary.
Γ
Botanical Magazine, 1890. Purchased. Bulletin (Kew) of Miscellaneous Information,
1890. Presented by Royal Garden, Kew. Catalogue of Plants in Natal Botanic Garden,
1889.
Classification and Generic Synopsis of the Wild
Grapes of North America, 1890.
Étude sur la creation d'un Jardin d'acclimatation
au Tonkin.
Forestry and Forestry Products. Purchased. Gardeners' Chronicle, 1890. Purchased. Hooker's Icones Plantarum vol. X. Parts I and II, vol. XI. Parts I and II. Presented by Bentham Trustees.
Hand-Guide to Royal Botanic Gardens, Ceylon. Index of Porter Smith's Materia Medica. Pur-
chased.
Index Florae Sinensis, vol. II. Parts VII, VIII and IX. Presented by Royal Gardens, Kew. Index Generum Phanerogamorum. Purchased. Indian Forest Reports.
Forest Administration in Upper Burma, 1888-89. Administration in North-West Provinces
and Oudh, 1888-89.
19
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Administration in Coorg, 1888-89. Administration in Central Provinces,
1888-89.
Administration in Ajmere Merwara, 1888-
89.
Journal of Botany, 1890. Purchased. Manual of Forestry, Schlich, vol. I. Purchased. Manual of Orchidaceous Plants. Part 3, Dendro- bium. Part 4, Crypripedium. Purchased. Monographiae Phanerogamarum Prodromei, vol.
VI. Purchased.
Presented by
Mutinus Bambusinus in Britain.
Royal Gardens, Kew.
Proceedings of Agri-Horticultural Society of
Madras, 1890.
Report, Botanic Gardens, Bangalore, 1888-89.
Botanic Gardens and Forests, Straits
Settlements, 1889.
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Botanic Gardens, Natal, 1889.
Adelaide, 1889.
Cinchona Plantations and Factory, Ben-
gal, 1889-90.
Conference of Fruit Growers and Vine Growers, Department of Agriculture, New South Wales, 1890..