203
No. 27.
HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION DEPARTMENT, FOR 1885.
Presented to the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government,
on 14th April, 1886.
No. 2.
BOTANIC GARDENS, 12th February, 1886.
SIR,-I have the honour to submit the Annual Report of this Department for the year 1885. 2. Botanic Gardens. Apart from the general work of maintenance, few improvements or altera- tions have been attempted this year. The only alteration of note is the conversion of the grass plot on the west of the Fountain Terrace into beds, with the ultimate intention of making it a rose-garden. The natural soil has been taken out and replaced with a compost suitable for growing foreign roses, which we hope to grow, either on their own roots, or budded or grafted on native stocks.
The roses in the New Garden have been failing for some years back owing to the unfavourable nature of the soil, and from natural exhaustion. When the new plants are thoroughly established, it is intended to clear the old rose ground and plant it with palms. We have received many additional species of this highly ornamental and interesting class of plants within the last few years, sufficient I think to enable us to extend the Palm Plot over the old rose ground till it joins the Conifer Plot. Palms and Conifers will then be the special features of the New Garden.
3. Our immunity from typhoons this year has heen favourable to the vegetation of the Gardens. These storms periodically destroy many of the new introductions before they gain sufficient strength to become inured to their new position. The Gardens still suffer, however, from a limited water supply; our means being hardly sufficient to enable us to employ the required number of water carriers. This want has been strongly felt for the last two years, owing to the extension of the New Garden and the large increase of nursery plants that are propagated for sale.
4. The exceptionally heavy rain-storm of the 12th and 13th of June last, was severely felt in the Gardens. Several land-slips took place in the most picturesque parts of the New Garden where many tons of earth, together with the surface vegetation, were precipitated from the faces of the steep banks that bound the northern sides of the upper and lower walk's which lead to the Glenealy Ravine. Several large Pine trees were carried down with the soil, and large gaps were made in the parapet walls both
upper and lower walks.
on the
A large quantity of soil and rock fell upon the Camellia Bed on the lower walk, crushing most of the plants beyond recovery.
It will be years before the yellow unsightly gaps can be again clothed with the luxuriant mass of ferns and other plants that contributed so much to the beauty of this part of the Garden. The same storm did more than usual damage to the walks in both Gardens and at Government House. The yearly expenditure in repairing walks is large in proportion to the extent of the ground. This is partly owing to the steep gradients and to the non-adhesive nature of the gravel at our dis- posal; and I am afraid that retrenchment in this matter cannot be effected to any appreciable extent, till funds are available to concrete the walks that ramify the steep parts of the Garden.
5. Many interesting plants have been added to our collection during the past year: notably a number of Succulents and Bromeliads from Kew; Cape bulbs and Ferns from the Botanic Gardens, Natal; Indian plants and named varieties of Crotons from the Botanic Gardens, Calcutta; Seeds of important economic plants from the Botanic Gardens, Jamaica; and a number of Orchids from Manila.
A detailed list of contributors and recipients is cited farther on.
6. The new plant houses enable us to give more satisfactory results than was previously the case in growing sub-tropical plants and plants requiring shade, but the want of a properly constructed house with a heating apparatus, is greatly felt for growing many of the beautiful plants which we receive from time to time from strictly tropical regions. The unsatisfactory condition of our Orchids shows this defect very clearly; most Orchids, as is generally known, require to be dealt with in a special manner, and must, as a rule, be subjected to conditions that necessitate a special house or compart- ment for their cultivation. It is to be hoped that the time is not far distant when we shall have an Orchid House worthy of the Gardens, and of the Colony.