HONGKONG.
No.
165
11
89.
No. 17.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION
DEPARTMENT FOR 1888.
Presented to the Legislative Council, by Command of His Excellency the Governor.
BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION DEPARTMENT,
HONGKONG, 5th April, 1889.
SIR,I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on the Progress and Condition of this Department for the year 1888.
ESTABLISHMENT.
As usual the changes amongst the workmen have been numerous, and they will, as may reasonably be expected, continue to be so while the men, after they have been with us long enough to learn their work somewhat, are able to secure higher wages elsewhere than are paid to them as garden labourers here. A few men who know some English and who would be able to acquire the names of plants cultivated are very
much needed in the Gardens. It is easy to conceive the very great difficulty of successfully carrying on the routine work of a large garden without a single man, exclusive of one European, who knows the names of more than a score of plants in the Garden. This want renders the work of indicating plants, which must be done by personal visits to them when anything is required in order to point them out, a very considerable labour for those who have it to do. There is a very much felt want of more extensive and closer supervision of the multitudinous details in operations daily carried on which it is impossible at present to apply. The unusual disadvantages under which horti- culture exists here necessitate much more careful and persistent management than in most other parts of the world, where nature and circumstances have been more generous in supplying favourable con- ditions and material at hand for the purposes of cultivation. As regards workmen I had hoped when I introduced a system of training apprentice boys that the staff would have been far more efficient by this time, but although the boys are useful merely as boys still we have not yet had very much benefit from them on the whole as trained workmen. The training the boys receive is of great advantage to themselves but their services when they are becoming valuable are secured by persons who remunerate them better than we can, therefore the apprentices naturally place their services in the highest market.
BOTANIC GARDENS.
The general condition of the Gardens was not so good as could have been desired during the year. The chief cause of this was the inadequate means, which, as I had reported, were crippled by additional demands being made on the vote which was not correspondingly increased. As economy had con- sequently to be exercised in some directions, it was arranged that the saving should be applied in such ways as would cause sacrifices of only a temporary character and which could be promptly remedied with increased means. The chief works which were thus allowed to be left unattended to were repairs to walks and regular mowing of some of the grass. Even this however caused for the time being a regretable appearance of disorder which was a new thing for the Hongkong Gardens which always up to the time had, I believe, the reputation of being extremely well kept.
We have had a good deal to contend with in thieves stealing saleable articles such as iron grates glass from sashes, &c., and in wanton mischief done in breaking plant labels by boys, besides plants being damaged and the arrangement in flower beds being disturbed by plant and flower stealers. In the latter case a severe example was made of two boys who were apprehended by the police. Since that time there has been immunity from mischief of the nature which they were punished for being guilty of. Some portions of the grass turf near where children congregate are in a chronic state of disorder caused by the children, which seem quite beyond the capacity of the police and amahs to manage, making use of them as playgrounds. It seems inevitable that this must be submitted to unless we could afford to fence off these places with light iron railings.
Al Fresco Fête.
The Fête which was again held in the Gardens caused some undesired disarrangements and damage, but fortunately the extra precautions taken to minimise damages had some good effect. Still, with the greatest precautions there is always, besides actual damages and disturbance, a great risk run which ought not to be accepted in any garden of the character of this one. It is, however, exceedingly satisfactory and reassuring to know that no more al fresco fêtes are to be permitted within the Gardens.