Sessional_Paper_1886-1887 — Page 327

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and surroundings and the formal arrangement of this popular and beautiful portion of the Gardens. After the removal of the trees, the space they occupied was laid out in beds, the poor soil from which was replaced with better material. These beds were partially planted with roses at the time, and the planting was completed during the past few months. The work of converting the remaining, and larger portion of the ground on the eastern side of the Fountain has been resumed lately, and it will be completed very soon. The arrangement adopted for the improvement of the terrace is designed for two purposes. One is to replace the large trees with plants of a more suitable nature for the character · of the place. The other object is to provide a suitable place for concentrating the collection of roses. The roses have hitherto been cultivated in various scattered parts of the Gardens, a method resulting in inconvenience and loss of time in management, as well as exposing the flowers to the cupidity of visitors and professional thieves. For some years flowers in general and roses in particular have received careful and regular attention from flower stealers, who have learnt their business so well that they manage to elude the vigilance both of the watchman, and detectives who have been specially detached for this service. These thieves find a good market in the town for cut flowers, and the very numerous entrances (there are nine) to the gardens, and the low walls which surround the grounds greatly facilitate the ingress and egress without detection of thieves. It is very desirable that some- thing should be done to check flower stealing, but at present there does not seem to be much prospect of the possibility of going much further than the concentration of the roses in one place where they can be more readily seen.

10. On the top of the bank at the north side of the terrace a Collection of Creepers has been planted, and an Iron and Wire Trellies 300 feet long and four feet high has been placed for their support.

11. GREVILLEA AVENUE. The western end of this walk was a cul de sac which visitors, instead of retracing their steps to escape from when they reached its end, got out of by climbing up the grass bank between it and the small walk above; by this the grass was continually worn off. venience of visitors, and the improvement of the end of the avenue, a flight of steps has been made up the bank, and some rock work on each side has been constructed and planted with ornamental foliage plants, which will grow in the shady situation.

12. Epiphytal Orchids (Phalaenopsis spp.) have been placed on the trunks of the Grevillea (Silky- Oak) trees which compose the avenue. The suitability of the climate for the cultivation of Phalienopsis has yet to be proved. So far the orchids, although they were only indifferent specimens of vigour when placed on the trees, seem to afford a promise of success, but the cold of winter, which is not yet over, is the severest trial they have to contend with.

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13. THINNING AND REMOVAL OF TREES.-Trees and plants of value and beauty which were in danger of having their symetrical development dangerously interfered with by neighbours which had. already fulfilled the purposes for which they were originally planted, and which were afterwards. occupying the places of interlopers, have been going through a course of ejection for several months. A couple of foresters have been employed to do this carefully. There are still of some kinds of trees far more individuals than there should be in the Gardens, which must gradually be withdrawn. Until this is done it will be impossible to provide suitably for and to introduce trees of new, beautiful, and interesting forms.

14. PALMS.-A very considerable augmentation of these has taken place. New species have been introduced from various parts of the world, which have raised the number of those in cultivation to one hundred and four. Most of them are planted in permanent positions, but there are others growing in pots and waiting for fit positions to be prepared for them. The limited ground available will not permit the collection to be very much extended, but when the roses are established in the new rosary, the plot at present occupied by the plants in the New Garden will be available for them.

15. This climate has been found suitable for all palms yet introduced with the exception of Maximiliana Martiana and Stevensonia grandifolia, both of which have repeatedly succumbed to cold in the dry season.

The former is a native of North Brazil and Guiana, and the latter of the Seychelle Islands. The inability of these two plants to bear with impunity the cold of this climate is interesting when we consider that other plants, including palms, from the same and from equally as hot regions

exhibit no ill-effects from the cold.

16. CONIFERS. Not many additions have been made to these. Dacrydium elatum, a very beautiful and graceful conifer has been introduced from Penang, and promises to flourish in Hongkong. Before much is done in the increase of the collection, the ground for their reception must be extended, this, however, is possible when means are available. The Conifers being side by side with the Palms make a very pleasing and interesting assemblage, which arrests the attention of intelligent visitors and illustrates in a comprehensive space the interjunction of the regions in which these two most interesting, beautiful, and useful families of the vegetable kingdom luxuriate.

17. GLENEALY RAVINE-This remains in a slovenly condition, but year after year leaves us in want of means to improve it. The shrubberies require re-arranging and re-planting. The grass lawns are also in very bad order, but it is useless doing anything with these until the string of people who daily walk across them to scoop up water from the nullah can be diverted. This, I trust, will be possible as soon as the necessity for the coolies to come in search of water is removed.