H.—24.

1875. NEW ZEALAND.

SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN BOARD.

Presented to both Souses of the General Assembly by Command of Sis Excellency.

Meetings of the Board were held during the past year, for the transaction of business, on 21at December, 1874, 11th March, 31st March, and 4th August, 1875. The ordinary expenditure on the garden lias been increased this year by the fencing required for the extension of its area to include land, conveyed to the Board by the Provincial Government, and the unused blocks of the Church of England and Public Cemeteries, of which the provisional annexation has been sanctioned by the respective trustees. The fence on the east side next the town has been removed back to the line of road laid off in that direction, a wire fence has been erected between Moxham's farm and the gardens, and a fourrail fence around the added reserves, making in all 89 chains of fencing. New roads have been formed to the extent of 92 chains, opening up the new ground to the public ; all the old roads have been cleaned, several bridges renewed and others repaired, the late severe rains having caused considerable damage. A large amount of necessary work has been done in clearing scrub, repairing and making new drains, and in nursery work including transplanting. A cottage removed from the Museum site has been re-erected near the nursery pits, and will prove of great use. There have been about 3,000 trees planted out during the past year ; of this number 688 have been purchased in the Australian colonies and New Zealand, of which lists are appended. The crop of conifers raised from seed sown in 1874, and which should have been available for planting out in 1875, proved to a great extent a failure. The new portion of the ground lately fenced has been planted with a fine collection of the different varieties of the silver fir, also araucarias and cedars. The greater part of the seeds in question when received here from North America were imperfectly filled, or, in other words, they were shrivelled and light. "Whether this arose from the seed having been gathered unripe, or from imperfect fertilization, matters little, as in either case the result would be weekly constitutioned plants; such plants proving this in a few years by flowering and bearing cones at an age that would result in short life and the production of bad timber. Great care should therefore be taken to prevent the introduction of bad pine seed to New Zealand. List of Pines raised from Seed. In pots. In beda. Cupressus macrocarpa ... ... ... ... ... 250 450 Pinus insignis ... ... ... ... ... ... 100 „ tuberculata ... ... ... ... ... ... 20 ~ longiiblia ... ... ... ... ... ... 74 „ pinea ... ... ... ... ... ... 31 Abies excelsa ... ... ... ... ... ... 350 „ menziesii ... ... ... ... ... ... 80 ~ douglasii ... ... ... ... ... ... 22 Wellingtonia gigantea ... ... ... ... ... 40 Frenella ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 150 Totals ... ... ... ... 967 600 Sitmmaby of Plants and Seeds purchased for and presented to the Garden duriag the past Tear. Purchased Plants. Ferguson and Son, New South Wales, trees and shrubs ... ... ... 153 Duncan and Son, Christchurch, New Zealand, trees ... ... ... 92 T. Lang and Co., Melbourne, trees ... ... ... ... ... 219 Mr. R. Donald, Wellington, trees ... ... ... ... ... 200 Mr. McNab, "Wellington, trees ... ... ... ... ... 24 Mr. Batchelor, Nelson, trees ... ... ... ... ... ... 200