Sessional_Paper_1884-1885 — Page 135

131.

No. 12.

Report for 1884 of the Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department.

Presented to the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Governor.

BOTANIC GARDEN, 7th January, 1885.

SIR,-I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on this Department for 1884.

2. With the completion of the laying out and arrangement of the last remaining portion of land available for garden extension (paragraph No. 4 of my Report for 1883), the Gardens have developed in area as far as seems possible in the locality in which they are situated. Any further extension which may be desirable will have to be in the nature of branches at some distance from the central garden. Therefore the available resources and energy have been chiefly directed during the year to the improvement and completion of works which needed closer attention and more support. The exceptionally sterile nature of the soil of this "barren rock," the exposed aspect of the Gardens and absence of water for artificial watering in the dry season, necessitate the expenditure of a great deal more thought, time, and means than is usually experienced in establishments of this kind. Whenever opportunities can be got for a few important alterations I hope to be able to undertake them. Amongst these should be the re-arrangement of the Fountain Terrace and adjacent grounds. The trees on the terrace have quite outgrown themselves for the positions which they occupy; most of them should be removed and a more suitable arrangement of planting substituted, but time and means prevent this being carried out at present. If these means had been available I should have much wished to carry out the work at once.

3. The Typhoon of September worked a good deal of mischief in the Gardens both by the force of the wind and the deluge of rain with which it was accompanied. Limbs and branches from the larger trees and shrubs were much broken, while smaller things were extensively up-rooted; amongst the latter a large number of roses and Poinsettias were destroyed. Many of the remaining Poinsettias were denuded of their leaves and in consequence they have been unable to produce the large floral crimson bracts which they otherwise would have had. A large number of Poinsettias were planted during the year, and had it not been for the typhoon they would have made a brilliant display.

4. Quite as much damage is done to plants and shrubs, both to those growing in pots and the open ground, by the saturated state of the soil which results from the enormous fall of rain during the storm. The plants which suffer the most from this cause are naturally those which come from countries having dry climates, many of which plants in consequence of these excessive downpours it is impossible to cultivate here. Poinsettias, Roses and Euphorbias specially suffered, a large number having been quite killed. Young plants, both seedlings and from cuttings, of ordinary things, even those natives of this place, were lost in large numbers. To be able to successfully cope with the elements at such times, as well as in ordinary heavy rains, many pot plants ought to be provided with substantial sheds in which they could be housed. Mat-sheds are usually blown away at the commencement of a storm.

5. Much more attention was given to Labelling the plants than it had been possible to bestow on this work for some time past. A large number of labels have been lettered and put down, so that at least one specimen of each kind of tree or shrub has now its name affixed to it. The specimen pot

plants are also being ticketed. With the completion of these, visitors will be able to ascertain the names of all plants under cultivation. The destruction of the labels by weather, and the constant removals of them by the workmen who take them up to facilitate operations, and who on finding when they wish to replace them that they have forgotten where the labels were taken from, put them back hap-hazard, renders it an arduous thing to keep labels well supplied and in due order. The Chinese workmen, unlike native Indians, are quite unable to learn foreign names of plants, therefore they are unable to render any assistance in plant labelling. The labels used for open ground work are made of teak, painted, lettered, and varnished. This I have found the most suitable of any kind yet tried where a large label is required.

6. The additional piece of palm ground has been planted up with as many species of Palms as

it will contain.

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