, 1881-11-26


morphology OF plants and meteorology.
He accepted the small salary attached 10
the post Of Botanist more from the congo
hiality of the place with his %favorite
pursuit. than with any admission of the
adequacy of bis reward, which was in
fact quite insufficient to furnish him the
requisite works of reference and pay for
subscriptions to current scientific period
Gale, besides journeying expenses 10 the
Island rendered necessary fer research
and superintendence. After filling the
Office little (f anything) over 6 years,
be died Feb. %, 1864. at the age of 45,
from the consequences of a cold caught
from a wetting got in one OF those jour
neys. He sent numerous new plants to
Europe for determination, and contributed
several articles to the botanic magazines
OF Germany. 1t was Mr.. Cruger who
organized the work of the Meteorological
Observatory in the Garden, and registered
the observations kept there from Feb 1,
1861, till his d mise. The botanic autho-
rites in Europe recognized the value OF
their labors by attaching the names of
Lockhart, Purdie, and Cruger TO certain
of their discoveries. To Mr.. Cruger
succeeded the actual incumbent Mr.
Prestoe, who in his II years service has
advanced the Gardens and the knowledge
of the Islands botanic resources and
cultural capacity far beyond The point
reached by his predecessors. Not natu.
rally robust, thrice, If we mistake not,
has his lite hung on a thread-and only
a few weeks ago it was again endangered
by 40 attack Of the prevailing fever. In
addition to his ordinary duties, Mr.. 7.
has made it a special task to collect aud
prepare for Transmission to Kew the seeds
of rare and valuable plants, resulting in
the enrichment of that central and dis
seminatory collection, and in the %rcceivol
of frequent parcels OF Strange, elegant or
economic seeds and plants in return. The
grounds under his charge have taken a
greatly widened extension, a great and
yearly increasing demand has set in on
the Garden for plants both by residents
and from the neighbouring COLONIES, re-
sulting in q correspondence that has been
the establishment of our Governor when
shewn it on tine request OF the Botaniat
for clerical aid. Mr.. Prsstoe's labouls
have had the result of SO accommodating
the demands 90 his4time that without
further and efficient aid he cannot per
form his duties. and much exceedingly
valuable wotk-such as his researches
into the most profitable variety Of CacaO
for cultivation land the best mode of cure
with many others-has to wait a leisure
that threatens never to arrive. Mean
while, it will surprise many to learn q
result proved by this repor') that the Gar
den brought in last year 9624 Is 9 from
plants &C. solj, with ~outsIandings due OF
s94 z S more, being d good deal more
than halt the expeuditur" ON those foe gar
dens, after supplying neatly 600 advanced
plants gratuitousiy with some amount Of
superintendence and directions for plant.
ing and replacing 10 public places within
aud about the Towp, and the loan oil orna-
mental plants in pots and tubsln large mum
Der on several public occasions (averaging
Is carloads on each). The Income of the
Garden was under 9200 in 1877. 356 lots
or separate sales OF pants and seeds were
made from the Garden last year, filing
1915 packages. 1876 lots were in compIi-
apce with local demand. 72 for other Brit
jsh West India Colonies, 6 for the French
w. l., 4 for Porto Rico, for St. Thomas.
7Venezuela, 40 Europe, 20 Cey'on and 2
Australia. The total number Of plants dis
tributsd (by sale, in tho last five years we
read it, is over $4,000 and OF lots and