N 4
Very little damage was done by "grass caterpillars" this year. The only places which suffered slightly were the lawns on the lower terrace and a few small patches elsewhere in the Old Garden.
The Hibiscus which had been planted to form a boundary hedge along the wall in Garden Road, were again pruned in October.
After a heavy rainstorm on April the 29th, a reptile 42 inches in length was found near the fountain in the Old Garden, it was captured and removed to one of the Aviary tanks, and was later identified by Mr. A. H. Crook as a large specimen of the Giant Salamander - Cryptobranchus maximus.
Government House Grounds.--Flowering shrubs and foliage plants were given the usual yearly pruning in the first quarter.
The remaining part of the bamboo hedge forming the north boundary was entirely removed and the vacancies refilled with Bamboo Palms (Chrysalidocarpus). This hedge has now a fairly clean and neat appearance.
A small rockery on the east side of the main entrance was dispensed with and was replaced by a small earth bank planted with Blue Grass and plants of Hypericum chinense and Hydrangea; the latter are being tried for the first time in these grounds. The trees of Erythrina indica made a fine show when in flower in May.
The interior of the House was decorated with pot plants and hanging baskets of flowers on four occasions during the year.
A similar scheme of decoration without hanging baskets was carried out on the occasion of the visit of H. R. H. the Crown Prince of Rumania.
All the less decorative Cannas in beds were rooted out and replaced by better varieties.
The big trees of Banian (Ficus retusa) in front of the House and those near the servants' quarters were pruned in August.
The small bamboo hedge outside the stables was removed, as the plants of Hibiscus, which were planted there about two years ago to take its place, have now formed a more effective and decorative hedge.
The path round the front lawn on the south side and those on the north side of the grounds were re-surfaced with decomposed granite.
A specimen tree of Cassia nodosa was planted in a rockery east side of the Guard House at the beginning of the year.
The large irregularly shaped bed of flowering shrubs on the north side of the grounds was removed and the area levelled and turfed.