317
No. 26
98
HONGKONG.
REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION
DEPARTMENT FOR 1897.
Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government,
No. 15.
BOTANIC GARDENS, HONGKONG, 4th June, 1898.
SIR, -I have the honour to forward my Report on the work of this department for 1897.
STAFF.
2. The Superintendent was absent on leave from March 19th to November 14th, during which time Mr. TUTCHER, the Assistant Superintendent, acted as locum tenens, and I am pleased to say he discharged his duties satisfactorily.
The second clerk, Mr. CHAN TSUN UN, was promoted to a post in the Medical Department on the 26th April, and he was succeeded by Mr. WONG KWONG MING on June 4th.
QUARTERS FOR CHINESE STAFF,
3. The Workmen's Quarters-Gardeners' Cottages is an inappropriate termn-referred to in para- graph 6 of my report for 1896, were completed and occupied in September. The building contains accommodation suitable in every respect for 12 married men and their families and 30 single men, and the basements are well adapted and used as tool-rooms, &c.
REVENUE.
4. The receipts were :—
From Plant Sales
Loan of Plants.....
>1
Forestry Products
$880.30
227.99
573.69
Total............$1,681.98
The receipts from plant sales and loan of plants amounted to $1,108.29, being an increase of $87.24 over those of the previous year.
BOTANIC GARDENS.
IMPROVEMENTS.
5. The site on which the workmen's old buildings stood has been enclosed by a substantial and Grnamental wall on the sides next the roads, and by a bamboo hedge on the nullah side, and the ground has been laid out in terraces which are to a great extent covered over with suitable roofing to provide shade for plants in pots. The whole of the collection of loan plants in pots, which numbers about 1,300 specimen plants, is now accommodated in this place, which is much more convenient and economical for management than as they were before-scattered in different parts of the gardens and in the Government House grounds wherever places could be found for them.
6. The flat roof of reed shading over No. 3 plant house-a fern house-has been replaced with an iron-span framework supported on iron pillars-three and five-inch piping-on which are fixed split bamboos, with their concave sides uppermost, at about one inch apart. The advantages gained by this arrangement are greater durability and elegance and the carrying off of two-thirds of the rain- fall instead of plants growing underneath receiving the whole rainfall as formerly, which was inju rious to many of the more delicate kinds. This will also save the loss of time and trouble in rolling off the reed shading on every threatened typhoon which it was necessary should be done to save it from destruction by wind.
7. Split bamboos have also replaced the reed shading on the curved iron frainework over No. 9 house, and a plant-shed in the nursery.
I hope as opportunity and means permit to continue similar improvements to other plant-houses.