L. 2
THE TYPHOON.
The typhoon of the 27th and 28th of July probably did more damage to the trees and other Government property under the charge of this department than any previously on record.
The damage may be summarised as follows:-
Buildings.-The roofs were blown off 4 of the plant houses: the end of one of the hot houses was blown in and many matsheds in the outlying forestry stations were demolished.
Botanic Gardens.-The majority of the big trees were so severely damaged that it will be many years before they regain their ornamental appearance while many were blown down and killed.
Blake Garden -Six of the banians were blown down, one of them being carried into a neighbouring street; the remainder were subsequently raised and saved. Most of the young trees planted during the last 3 years were destroyed,
Government House Grounds.-Many of the large trees in the immediate neighbourhood of the house were badly damaged or destroyed: with special regret must be recorded the snapping off at a few feet from the ground of the fine Poinciana (Flame of the Forest) on the west of the house and the disfigurement of one of the great banians at the entrance.
Colonial Cemetery.-200 of the large trees which made the beauty of this cemetery justly famous were broken short off by the wind and killed.
Banks. The majority of the large pine trees which added so much to the picturesque appearance of the main entrance of Government House were killed.
Street Trees.-The large banians bordering the roads especially in the central district received unprecedented punishment. The litter of branches was in some places a dense tangle 12 feet deep filling the whole road. It took about 100 men with axes and saws from daylight until 11 o'clock on the morning following the typhoon to clear narrow passages for traffic in some of the principal thoroughfares. Even with the co-operation of the Sanitary Department it was more than a week before all the debris was removed from the streets.
It was not possible to save more than a small proportion of it for sale and recourse had to be taken to the unusual expedient of issuing general permission through the Police for anyone to take away what they wished for fuel. The smaller twigs and leaves which were of no use as fuel and were therefore left on the roads, were collected into heaps and burned.
Pine Plantations.--In contrast to the great havoc produced among the shade trees is the curious fact that the plantations quasi-le Victoria suffered little; only 2,000 pine trees blown down by the wind have so far been found and sold.
HERBARIUM.
The new species from the Fokien collection of 1905 were published during the year in a paper by the Superintendent in the Journal of the Linnean Society. A collection of plants from the Salwen Valley made by Mr. FORREST of the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens was purchased. No specimens from this region previously existed in the collection and it therefore fills a gap in our series of Chinese plants. The only collections made by members of the Department were one made in Northern Formosa and one in the mountains round Hakone Lake in Japan by the Superintendent. A large number of local specimens were presented by Mrs. GIBBS.
Fleet-Surgeon C. G. MATTHEW, R.N., has continued his work upon the local ferns and has published the results as "Notes on the ferns of Hongkong and the adjacent mainland”, a most valuable contribution to the botanical literature of the Colony. The ferns of this part of China have indeed during the year received an unprecedented amount of attention, for Mr. COPELAND recently published an account of the ferns of Southern China in the Philippine Journal of Science, dealing especially with those collected by Dr. MATTHEW on the Lien Chau River, by myself on the Min River in Fokien Province and by Mr. KEMP's collectors in the neighbourhood of Swatow. In addition to the above publication the Department is indebted to Dr. MATTHEW for the time and trouble that he has expended in furnishing notes on the specimens of ferns already placed by him in the Herbarium.
A considerable amount of time was spent during the year in collecting and investigating the plant products used commercially in Hongkong whether of local or other origin. Most of them are well known Chinese drugs. Each was as far as possible identified botanically and specimens with distinctive numbers preserved in the Herbarium, pending their investigation by the medical and other departments concerned.
The list thus prepared has been subjected to exhaustive examination by Dr. Ho Kai: the Government has indeed been exceedingly fortunate in securing his co-operation for pro-
L. 2
THE TYPHOON.
The typhoon of the 27th and 28th of July probably did more damage to the trees and other Government property under the charge of this department than any previously on record.
The damage may be summarised as follows:-
Buildings.-The roofs were blown off 4 of the plant houses: the end of one of the hot houses was blown in and many matsheds in the outlying forestry stations were demolished.
Botanic Gardens.-The majority of the big trees were so severely damaged that it will be many years before they regain their ornamental appearance while many were blown down and killed.
Blake Garden -Six of the banians were blown down, one of them being carried into a neighbouring street; the remainder were subsequently raised and saved. Most of the young trees planted during the last 3 years were destroyed,
Government House Grounds.-Many of the large trees in the immediate neighbourhood of the house were badly damaged or destroyed: with special regret must be recorded the snapping off at a lew feet from the ground of the fine Poinciana (Flame of the Forest) on the west of the house and the disfigurement of one of the great banians at the entrance.
Colonial Cemetery.-200 of the large trees which made the beauty of this cemetery justly famous were broken short off by the wind and killed.
Banks. The majority of the large pine trees which added so much to the picturesque appearance of the main entrance of Government House were killed.
Street Trees.The large banians bordering the roads especially in the central district received unprece lentel punishment. The litter of branches was in some places a dense rangle 12 feet deep filling the while road. It took about 100 men with axes and saws from daylight until 11 o'clock on the morning following the typhoon to clear narrow passages for traffic in some of the principal thoroughfares. Even with the co-operation of the Sanitary Department it was more than a week before all the debris was removed from the streets.
It was not possible to save more than a small proportion of it for sale and recourse had to be taken to the unusual expedient of issuing general permission through the Police for anyone to take away what they wished for fuel. The smaller twigs and leaves which were of no use as fuel and were therefore left on the roads, were collected into heaps and burnel.
Pine Plantations.--In contrast to the great havoc produced among the shade trees is the curious fact that the plantations qutsi-le Victoria suffered little; only 2,000 pine trees blown down by the wind have so far been found and sold.
HERBARIUM.
The new species from the Fokies collection of 1905 were published during the year in a paper by the Superintendent in th: Journal of the Linnean Society. A collection of plants from the Salwen Valley ma le by Mr. FORREST of the Edinburgh Botanic Gardens was pur- chased. No specimens from this region previously existed in the collection and it therefora fills a gap in our series of Chinese plants. The only collections made by members of the Department were one made in Northern Formosa an one in the mountains round Hakone Lake in Japan by the Superintendent. A large number of local specimens were presented by Mrs. GIBBS.
Fleet-Surgeon C. G. MATTHEW, R.N.. has continued his work upon the local ferns and has published the results as "Notes on the ferns of Hongkong and the adjacent mainland”, a most valuable contribution to the botanical literature of the Colony. The ferns of this part: of China have indeed during the year received an unprecedented amount of attention, fam Mr. COPEL AND recently published an account of the ferns of Southern China in the Philippi Journal of Science, dealing especially with those collected by Dr. MATTHEW on the Lien Chau River, by myself on the Min River in Fokien Province and by Mr. KEMP's collectors in the neighbourhood of Swatow. In addition to the above publication the Department is indebted to Dr. MATTHEW for the time and trouble that he has expended in furnishing notes on the specimens of ferns already placed by him in the Herbarium.
A considerable amount of time was spent during the year in collecting and investigat - ing the plant products used commercially in Hongkong whether of local or other origin. Most of them are well known Chinese drugs. Each was as far as possible identified botani- cally and specimens with distinctive numbers preserved in the Herbarium, pending their in- vestigation by the medical and other departments concerned.
The list thus prepared has been subjected to exhaustive examination by Dr. Ho Kai: the Government has indeed been exceedingly fortunate in securing his co-operation for pro-
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