, 1888-08-25
Report on the Botanical Gardens
in Trinidad.
(San Fernando Gazette.)

AAtSN ~ tShIt'tCA sANAC w ~ - 49, ~
of a Report from Mr.. J. Fl. Hart, Superin-
tendent of the Royal Botanical Gardens OF
Trinidad. This document, which purpOrtS
to be an Annual Report on these gardens
and their work for the year 1887, is really
a practical expose Of the present status
and Il digest Of the means adopted for the
progress in the management and extension
Of the Botanical Gardens at st. AIMS,
which, since their establishment by Sir
Ralph WOOdfOrd, in 1918, (SeYenty years
ago. have been the object Of much care by
the successive Governors who have since
ruled the colony. The Report is divided
into 10 sections, the first of which is deyO-
ted to the historical information as to the
origin, establishment and government Of
the gardens, and the successive officers
under whose care they have progressed.
The information given under this head is
very interesting, and the subject is we'll
handled by Mr.. Hart, who seems to pos
seSS ii taCile pen in his variations. He
speaks highly Of his predecessor, MIR.
Prpstoe, and his culogjum we consider as
Il just tribute to that gentleman.
Section Ii. deals with details Of the
changes made latterly in the establish.
ment, owing, principally, to the retirement
OF Mr.. PrestOe, who on account Of i'll.
health, had to resign his charge on Il pea
sion from the Government.
Section Ill, gives Il fill account OF The
Meteorological work Undertaken in con
@nrction with the est blishment. Under
this head Mr.. Hurt observes ''phe va.
clue of Meteorological observations, | I'm
''gItl to notice, is daily becoming better
"recogniSed. There are still probably u
flew who doubt their vdlun, but when it
sit is taken into consideration that they
"(AleteOr0logical observations brlr upon
chat condition Of the parth'S surface which,
'~'aifectS our hcuIth, our fool $HpDIH our
".fnet supply, our general veil being, in fact
'Our Gerry existence, surely it is sufficiently
demonstrates thar it is necessary to keep
"a careful record of facts relating thereto
Sin the form Of daily observations"
We learn from the concluding para
graph Of this section, that the year 1887
''haS been somewhat remarkable for the
Charge fall Of rain which occurred during
'December, it being the largest fall tor
chat month on the record for p years,
sand probably for many Of the unrecord-
'ed years previous to the commencement
'Of our observations"
Speaking Of the IIerbarium and office
in the following section, the writer ObSe l.
YES that, "The Trinidad HeIbarium may
''nOW be said to be established on a sound
chassis, principally through the interest," in
'the matter taken 10y His Exrellency 1.-THE
"Governor), and it is hoped that when the
"material is all arranged that it will stand
''amOng the first, if it is not the first, Of
"West Indian IIerbariumS." The greater
part of the remaining sections is devoted
to economical details i'll the work of the
establishment, and the fullest information
is afforded to all DESTROYS of obtaining the
particulars covering exchanges and scien-
tific correspondence with foreign BOtani-
cal departments in respect to these ex-
changes. 1t becomes patent that this cor
reSpOndence will continue to extend the
area of usefulness which is the character
iStic of this department, and that the ben
eft to the Colony will, as it is now, be of
the most tangible and material kind, let
alone the amount of knowledge and infOr-
nation it is sure to bring along with it.
We are struck with Section XIII. on
the Distribution of information, as giving
an idea Of the work lone to disseminate
information regarding the culture of the
Subsidiary Products" We give this Sec
ton in its entirety
"The method of distributing information
"with regard to Agricultural and Horti-
cultural matters by means of pamphlets,
'bulletins and leaflets, ETC., had been mi.
"'tiated previous to my arrival by His Ex-
"cellency Sir William Robinson, KONG,
"by the issue of a pamphlet on Tobacco,