The following is a list of receipts for the year :-
Botanical Magazine, 1887. Journal of Botany, 1887. Gardeners' Chronicle, 1887.
Report, Royal Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, 1886.
77
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Ceylon, 1886.
Botanic Gardens, Jamaica, 1886.
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Mauritius, 1885.
Indian Forest Reports.
Forest Administration in Assam, 1886-87.
91
59
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Central Provinces, 1886-87. ,, Bengal, 1886-87.
,, Ajmere Merivara, 1885-86. British Burma, 1885-86.
,, Coorg, 1885-86.
Madras, 1886-87.
17
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17
17
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North-West Provinces,
1885-86.
2)
Andamans, 1885-86.
Hyderabad, 1886-87.
23
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Natal, 1886.
21
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11
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Singapore, 1886.
Saharanpur, 1886.
22
33
Agri-Horticultural So-
ciety, Madras, 1886.
Report, Queensland Acclimatisation Society, 1886.
Forests, Straits Settlements, 1886.
"2
Survey Branch, 1885-86.
Review of Forest Administration in British India,
GOVERNMENT-HOUSE GARDENS.
1885-86.
The ordinary yearly routine work has been performed at the gardens appertaining to Government House, but besides the thinning of over-grown trees, of which a good deal has been done, no special works have been undertaken.
INVESTIGATION AND PLANT COLLECTING.
A journey was undertaken by myself in August along the North and Lienchau Rivers in the Kwangtung Province. Besides an extensive collection of dried plants for the herbarium about 800 living plants were brought back. These are chiefly plants of an ornamental character which are most desirable additions to cultivation. When these living plants have become established and grown they will, in many cases, be new objects of great beauty and interest in the gardens of this Colony. When the collections have been thoroughly examined, a work which will yet take some time, the scientific results of the tour will, I feel sure, be of considerable value and interest.
Besides the introduction of new living plants, and the acquisition of a large quantity of material for the herbarium and for the enrichment of science, I may mention another result which is important and of direct and immediate practical utility to the Forest Department. For several years I have endeavoured, in vain, to procure through Chinese and other sources seeds in quantity of the tree (Cunninghamia sinensis) which yields the timber, so called China fir, that is universally used here and in South China for all kinds of building, and many other purposes. While I was absent I found the tree growing abundantly about 100 miles North of Canton, and under circumstances which ren- dered it possible to procure seeds in quantities as were desirable. I made arrangements for seeds to be collected there when they were ripe and delivered in Hongkong. We have now a large quantity on hand, and experiments on a large scale will be made with the cultivation here of the tree during this The timber from this tree, if it be found to succeed here, will be of much more value than that of Pinus sinensis, the tree which hitherto we have planted very extensively.
year.
FORESTRY.
After the reduction of planting works which took place in 1886, the number of trees dealt with in artificial reproduction during 1887 was again brought up to something nearer former work, but until the Forestry vote is again placed at the figure which was provided before its reduction last year, we cannot accomplish annual afforestation works to the same extent as formerly.
Roughly estimating the area of ground operated on by the number of trees planted at fairly regular distances apart we have about 312 acres as the area for 1887. 157,144 trees were reared in nurseries and planted on the hills. Planting as usual was commenced in December, and finished in April, which was somewhat earlier than in former years. Planting in the dry season can only be done in places where water is available for artificial irrigation. In other places we are entirely depen- dent on favourable weather. In all places the planting was very successful.
Nurseries.
Nine nurseries have been maintained. These were situated at Kowloon (two) Saiwan, North Point, Sokonpo, Deep Water Bay, Little Hongkong, Aberdeen and Pokfulam. From them the trees were carried to the various planting grounds ranging from Saiwan in the East, North Point in the North, Pokfulam in the West, and Deep Water Bay in the South of Hongkong, and north eastwards of Yaumati at Kowloon.
The trees reared in nurseries under contract have this year, as a rule, been very successfully managed by the contractor, they show a great improvement on the previous year's work in this respect.
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