The knowledge which we at present possess of the indigenous vegetation of South Eastern Asia and of the useful applications of its plants is most limited and fragmentary. In fact, the only contribution of any importance which has been made to it, is the account of the Flora of Hongkong drawn up by Mr. BENTHAM in 1861. This account, though drawn up with much care and based on the collections of numerous careful botanists made in an Island very limited in extent, left room for the many subsequent additions which have been made by visitors and residents such as Dr. HANCE, Captain WALKER, &c. I do not however call to mind that you have furnished us with any new facts in the botany of Hongkong or of the adjacent mainland during the time that you have been resident in the Island though your official position must have afforded you peculiar facilities for doing so.
This is the more to be regretted as the Colonial Office at the time of your original appointment particularly requested that the new Superintendent should be both a botanist as well as a practical gardener.
I must particularly call your attention to paragraph 9 of the accompanying printed instructions, and urge on you the importance of keeping up such a herbarium as is referred to. The Garden would willingly aid you, with suitable encouragement in making the necessary collections, and I regard this as of the more importance as I understand that many of the indigenous trees of Hongkong are reduced to very few individuals.
I also think that you should endeavour occasionally when opportunity offers, to make excursions to some of the trading ports in China for the purpose of collecting plants and of obtaining information about the sources of the drugs, woods, &c., which are found in Chinese Commerce, and as to the origin of which so little is known. Having once made it generally known in the Colony that you were willing to interest yourself in such matters and to become the depositary of information respecting them, you would soon be able to enlist the co-operation of traders, merchant captains, sea surgeons and others in your enquiries. In this way I am convinced that you might make your establishment the Head Quarters of investigation, whether scientific or simply utilitarian, into Chinese vegetation. And if your annual reports reflected your exertions in this respect, you would certainly obtain the support and sympathy of all kindred Establishments in Europe.
I must further impress upon you the serious necessity of your getting the collections of cultivated plants in the Botanic Garden ticketed and named. From this establishment you will, as you know, receive every kind of assistance and support, and I am quite sure that from the correspondents of Kew in China itself you will receive ample co-operation. In Dr. HANCE, the Vice Consul at Whampoa, you have an accomplished Botanist whose aid in all scientific matters I feel assured you will always receive.
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed,)
J. D. HOOKER.
CHARLES FORD, Esq.
EXTRACT FROM THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 6TH NOVEMBER, 1879.
There is another change which you will see in the Estimates for 1880, but which does not involve any question of money, it is merely a transfer from one department to another department, and that follows from the fact that Mr. FORD is now placed at the head of the Botanical department. I shall lay before you the various minutes and papers which explain how it came to pass that Mr. FORD, arriving in this Colony in 1871 and being placed in the position to which he was appointed, and being in that position for some time, was subsequently, some two years afterwards, deprived of his position as the independent head of a department. This was not known to Her Majesty's Government. When the attention of the Government was called to the position and duties of Mr. FORD, despatches arrived the result of which is I now have to place before you a separate department at the head of which is Mr. FORD. The minutes of Governor Sir R. G. MACDONNELL, some subsequent correspondence and the despatches of the Secretary of State, will all be printed for the information of the Council.
Page 570
Page 571
{ 9')
The knowledge which we at present possess of the indigenous vegetation of South Eastern Asia nd of the useful applications of its plants is most limited and fragmentary. In fact, the only con- of any importance which has been made to it, is the account of the Flora of Hongkong rawn up by Mr. BENTHAM in 1861. This account, though drawn up with much care and based on the collections of uumerous careful botanists made in an Island very limited in extent, left room for the many subsequent additions which have been made by visitors and residents such as Dr. HANCE, Captain WALKER, &c. I do not however call to mind that you have furnished us with any new facts in the botany of Hongkong or of the adjacent mainland during the time that you have been resident in the Island though your official position must have afforded you peculiar facilities for doing so.
This is the more to be regretted as the Colonial Office at the time of your original appointment particularly requested that the new Superintendent should be both a botanist as well as a practical arlener.
and
The men employed
necessary
I must particularly call your attention to paragraph & of the accompanying printed instructions, urge on you the importance of keeping up such a herbarium as is referred to.
collec- the Garden would willingly aid you, with suitable encouragement in making the tions, and I regard this as of the more importance as I understand that many of the indigenous trees of Hongkong are reduced to very few individuals.
I also think that you should endeavour occasionally when opportunity offers, to make excursions to some of the trading ports in China for the purpose of collecting plants and of obtaining information about the sources of the drugs, woods, &c., which are found in Chinese Commerce, and as to the origin of which so little is known. Having once made it generally known in the Colony that you were willing to interest, yourself in such matters and to become the depositary of information respecting them, you would soon be able to enlist the co-operation of traders, merchant captains, sea surgeons and others in your enquiries. In this way I am convinced that you might make your establishment the Head Quarters of investigation, whether scientific or simply utilitarian, into Chinese vegetation. And if your annual reports reflected your exertions in this respect, you would certainly obtain the support and sympathy of all kindred Establishments in Europe.
I must further impress upon you the serious necessity of your getting the collections of cultivated plants in the Botanic Garden ticketted and named. From this establishment you will as you know receive every kind of assistance and support, and I am quite sure that from the correspondents of Kew in China itself you will receive ample co-operation. In Dr. HANCE, the Vice Consul at Whampoa, you have an accomplished Botanist whose aid in all scientific matters 1 feel assured you will always receive.
Your obedient Servant,
(Signed,)
CHARLES FORD, Esq.
J. D. HOOKER.
EXTRACT FROM THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 6TH NOVEMBER, 1879.
There is another change which you will see in the Estimates for 1880, but which does not involve any question of money, it is merely a transfer from one department to another department, and that follows from the fact that Mr. FoxD is now placed at the head of the Botanical department. I shall lay before you the various minutes and papers which explain how it came to pass that Mr. FORD, arriving in this Colony in 1871 and being placed in the position to which he was appointed, and being in that position for some time, was subsequently, some two years afterwards, deprived of his position as the independent head of a department. This was not known to Her Majesty's Government. When the attention of the Government was called to the position and duties of Mr. FORD, despatches arrived the result of which is I now have to place before you a separate department at the head of which is Mr. FORD. The minutes of Governor Sir R. G. MACDONNELL some subsequent correspondence and the despatches of the Secretary of State, will all be printed for the information of the Council.
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