Sessional_Paper_1894 — Page 267

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION

DEPARTMENT FOR 1893.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Governor

263

No. 18

94

BOTANIC GARDENS, HONGKONG, 7th May, 1894.

SIR,-I have the honour to submit the Annual Report on this Department for the year 1893. BOTANIC GARDENS.

The grounds, plant-houses, buildings, fences, walks, and collections of plants have all been maintained in good order, and improvements have been effected in various directions. Some of the concreted walks are becoming a little rough by wear and weather and will need re-making before long. The smaller of the underground drains beneath level walks, in consequence of the want of steeper gradients, are subject to continual blocking by accumulations of débris within them. These should all be taken up and relaid some time when there are sufficient funds.

Improvements.

2. An additional glass-roofed plant-house 50 feet long by 12 feet wide, situated in the nursery has been completed. The wood-work has been chiefly made and fitted by our carpenter who is on the staff. The glass-houses in the nursery are now nearly sufficient for our needs for nursery purposes. One more small addition will complete the requirements.

3. Certain walks in the Botanical and Government House Gardens have been concreted. These additions now finish all that is needed in this kind of walk formation.

4. Extensions have been made to rockeries where circumstances rendered these necessary.

Lawns.

5. Towards the end of the summer the moths and caterpillars mentioned in paragraph No. 14 of my last report again appeared, but having learnt by past experience the habits of these pests their advent was anticipated, and on their first appearance remedies for their destruction were at once applied and maintained at regular intervals until the termination of their season of activity. By these means the lawns were preserved from serious injury.

Dr. A. GUNTHER, F.R.S., Keeper of the Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), to whom I sent specimens of the larva, chrysalids, and moths for determination, has very kindly informed me that its name is Thialleta signifera, (Walk.). The chief injury to the grass is caused by this species, but another one which appears simultaneously with the Thialleta is also respon- sible for some damage. This one Dr. GUNTHER has also determined from specimens which I sent. It is Pharazia bicarsisatis (Walk.).

worn away.

6. Children continue to run over places where grass should be, but which they have long ago As the attendants and police are unable to prevent this, it would be advisable to provide low iron fences, on the margins of walks where children chiefly congregate, of only sufficient height to prevent the children leaving the walks. The ordinary annual vote has not hitherto provided means for procuring such a fence.

7. One of the four large clumps of clipped Pittosporum Tobira on the terrace below the fountain died during the year. This causes a temporary incompleteness in the arrangement, but new plants have been put in the place of those which died. The old ones had occupied the position, as have those which remain, for about 30 years.

Excessive Cold in January.

8. On the 15th, 16th, and 17th of January Hongkong was visited by the coldest weather ever known here, when the temperature in the Gardens fell to 31° F. This was the subject of a Special Report which I submitted on February 4th, and to which there is little now to add. Within the Gardens the most regrettable losses by cold were many valuable orchids. Many inside the houses were killed, and all the plants of Phalaenopsis amabilis, P. Schilleriana, and Saccolabium giganteum growing on a tree of Ficus retusa were killed. These had been placed on the tree a few years before and were well established and beginning to be a special feature.

9. For the cultivation of beautiful and tender orchids glass-houses should be provided. Experi- ments in the nursery glass-houses have conclusively proved the great advantages to many orchids