No.
173
90,
HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION
DEPARTMENT FOR 1889,
Presented to the Legislative Council, by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.
No. 5.
BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION DEPARTMENT,
HONGKONG, 22nd February, 1890.
SIR-I have the honour to submit the Annual Departmental Report for 1889.
2. The routine work of the department occupies a very great deal of time in supervision and the past year has not shown any diminution of demands in this respect, the character of the raw Chinese recruits, as well as even the older hands, has, as usual, required the expenditure of much time in organisation, and development and maintenance of method and order in their work. The increase in the vote for the Gardens has permitted various improvements to be made in general appearance. Greater neatness in walks and lawns has largely contributed to the general effect. The Gardens have been extensively used by the Chinese especially, but there is some difficulty in inducing a large number of them to observe rules which should regulate the conduct of visitors. The summer storms have been again numerous and every one of them has caused more or less damage from the effects of either wind or excessive moisture in the soil. Many pot plants especially suffer from the drowned condition to which their roots are subjected during the heavy rains.
3. The terrible Rain Storm which began on the 29th of May and continued during the following day perfectly flooded the level and moderately level parts of the Gardens, and even on the portions with steep gradients the rainfall presented the appearance of cascades, the drains and channels being inadequate to carry off the immense volumes of water. Soil in open beds and borders and gravel on walks were swept away to a great extent. A portion of retaining wall 40 feet long by 10 feet high collapsed, and four landslips, besides the catastrophe in Glenealy Ravine, were caused. The bursting of the culvert in Glenealy Ravine within the New Gardens completely obliterated the lower portions of the grounds which I laid out and planted about seventeen years ago.
Soil was washed away, together with trees and shrubs, to a depth of 10 or 12 feet in some parts and landslips on the preci- pitous heights around were large and numerous carrying away portions of the gallery walk and parapets together with vegetation which had grown and hidden the ugliness of the once bare staring faces of the fresh cuttings. The Public Works Department having replaced the soil carried away by the storm waters this department has now in hand ground work which will, I trust, be relaid out and planted in a short time. The excessive force of the downfall of the rain was exhibited after the storm by the appearance of vegetation of different kinds. The leaves of some trees were completely torn off, others had the leaves browned and blackened, while on some with leaves of a softer and more succulent character, but where the plants were somewhat sheltered from the full force of the rain, the leaves after being pounded by the rain hung in a decomposing state before the rains completely ceased. Small and tender seedlings were completely destroyed in many instances.
4. All landslips which occurred within the Gardens were removed, débris collected and carried away, walks repaired, and beds and borders put straight again in sixteen days after the storm, at which time the staff resumed their ordinary work. The mains, through which the Gardens' supply of water was conveyed having been carried away by the storm a great portion of the water needed for the Gardens had to be carried from the nullah until the end of October when connections were made which placed us again in a better position. The total cost of repairs to storm damages within the Gardens, exclusive of the work now going on in Glenealy Ravine, was $618.66. The estimate and vote was $800.
5. Landslips were numerous on the hills throughout the island, but they seem more plentiful on the northern slopes than elsewhere, probably owing to the greater steepness of the hills there. A con- siderable number of trees of all sizes were carried away by these slips. It seems probable that landslips may be partly prevented by the roots of the trees which strike deep into loose soil. In this manner plantations may perhaps be of service in assisting to keep roads clear by preventing landslips. Some of the most unsightly yellow earth exposed by landslips in plantations have been roughly turfed. In the tree nurseries, which, as a rule, are lands alternately used as paddy fields, a very large number of small seedling pine trees were completely destroyed by water or by their being covered with deposits of soil; these losses have greatly diminished the number of trees available for planting during the present season.