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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 11TH MARCH, 1882.
4. Cytisus proliferous var. ("Tagasaste"). The seedlings (about 50) which were planted on the hills about a year ago grew remarkably well until the hot weather and rains commenced, when, I regret to say, they all perished, proving the unsuitability of the climate for this fodder plant.
5. Rhagodia hastata (Australian "Salt Bush"). The same may be said of this fodder plant as of the above "Tagasaste," it having grown vigorously until the hot weather and rains set in, when it perished. 6. Pithecolobium Saman (The "Rain Tree"). Small trees which were carefully planted in prepared ground in 1879 continue to thrive, many of them are six to seven feet high. But those which were planted in unprepared ground, although nursed by the trees of a young plantation in which they were planted, are only about two feet high,
7. Manihot Glaziovii (Ceara Scrap Rubber). In good soil a small plant, which I brought from Kew Gardens in 1878, and which was then only about three inches high, has grown to a tree about 15 feet high and is now seeding freely. It seeded last year also and from the seeds which were produced we raised several small plants which were planted on the hills, at about 400 feet altitude, last autumn, but the cold of the past few months killed them down to the ground-the lowest temperature recorded at the gardens, alt. 300 feet, was 46°—but all are now making new shoots from the surface of the ground. The old plants were not affected by the cold.
8. Liberian Coffee. A few plants of this, which have been in the gardens for four years, do not thrive at all well, although the Arabian coffee grows luxuriantly and fruits abundantly.
The tree from 9. Pai-cha wood. The wood used at Ningpo for carving is called by this name. which the wood is obtained has not yet been identified, but as I have succeeded in obtaining a small be plant of what is reputed to be the true one, there is some hope that when it flowers the doubt may set at rest; judging from the appearance of the plant without flowers or fruit, it is a species of Evonymus. 10. Macadamia ternifolia (the “Queensland Nut"). In my last report I mentioned that this had flowered for the first time here. Now I am able to state that the flowers were succeeded by a very fair crop of nuts which tasted quite equal in flavour to those produced in Queensland.
11. Sheds with screens of canvas on rollers have been put up for the better cultivation of Ferns and some other plants which cannot be well grown unless they are protected from the powerful sun- rays and heavy rains. The plants grown in these structures have shown a marked improvement for the extra care bestowed upon them. These sheds and the orchid-house are, I hope, the fore-runners of more ornamental and accessible structures which might, with advantage, be added to our acknow- ledged beautiful, but small gardens.
12. The Aviaries and Orchid-house which were in a very dilapidated state have been repaired and put in a fairly effective condition. The Monkey-house has not been repaired, although it is very much decayed. The house is, I believe, badly placed for the health of the animals; scarcely any sun can ever enter the house, and it is exposed to all the cold weather which we get from the northerly winds. I would strongly recommend the abandonment of the place altogether and the keeping of monkeys, unless a proper house could be provided for them. The structure is of wood, and ever since it was erected it has been constant trouble and expense to keep the animals in the house, as they are continually eating away and pulling down the boards of which the house is constructed.
13. The following plants flowered for the first time in these gardens:--
Aristolochia longifolia. Brassaia actinophylla. Cypripedium Stonei. Dendrobium Paxtonii.
Echeveria metallica.
Frenela pendula.
Lettsomia Chalmersii.
Mezoneurum brachycarpum. Monstera deliciosa. Peperomia arifolia.
marmorata.
Rhododendrom Championæ. Seaforthia elegans.
Tecoma australis.
14. During the year under notice the following plants, hitherto unrecorded as being indigenous to Hongkong, have been discovered in the Island:-
Asplenium lunulatum, Sonerila tenera, and Otanthera Fordü, Hance, novum species.
15. Dr. KING, Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, kindly presented for the library a copy of Griffith's Palms of India.
16. As the gardens are becoming crowded, the interchange of plants and seeds has not been conducted with quite so much vigour as in former years when there was more necessity for the importation of plants to stock the newly formed portions of the garden. The number of contributors was 32, from whom 677 plants and 145 packets and parcels of seeds, and 8 birds and animals were received. 1,834 plants and 190 packets and parcels of seeds were supplied from the garden to 41 recipients.