Sessional_Paper_1900 — Page 331

325

No.

1 8

1900

HONGKONG.

REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION DEPARTMENT FOR 1899.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

No. 14.

BOTANICAL AND AFFORESTATION DEPARTMENT,

HONGKONG, 30th March, 1900.

SIR,--I have the honour to submit my Report on the work of this department for 1899.

STAFF.

The Assistant Superintendent, Mr. TUTCHER, returned from twelve months' leave on the 17th February.

The late Head Forester, Lo QUAI, who resigned in 1898 to commence business on his own account, was re-appointed on 21st October as Foreman of Forestry Works in the New Territory.

Much sickness prevailed amongst the Chinese staff, there being an aggregate of 858 days, an excess of 478 days over the previous year. Sixty-two different men were sick, against 30 in 1898.

Changes in the staff were even greater than in the previous year, 18 men left the service, a number of these being coolies with experience who left on account of the smallness of their pay being insufficient to meet increased cost of living in Hongkong; they had to be replaced with inferior men which rendered it difficult to carry on work properly.

The Hon. F. H. MAY, C.M.G., Captain Superintendent of Police, kindly consented to a proposal I made for the Garden boys to attend the Police School in order to be taught English, and they commenced to attend in December.

REVENUE.

The receipts were in excess of those in 1898. The total receipts were :

From Plant Sales

$626.60

Loan of Plants

223.71

12

51

Forestry Products..............

708.14

Total...........$1,558.45

BOTANIC GARDENS.

PLANT HOUSES.

The collection of ferns requiring more accommodation No. 1 plant house, which was used for orchids, was demolished and the construction of a new improved and larger house was commenced. When it is finished the ferns will be transferred to it from No. 3 house, which will then be used for the orchids which were in No. 1 house.

WALKS.

Some of the old concrete which was becoming worn and broken was surfaced with decomposed granite and cement which is a great improvement. This work will be continued until all the walks which require it are finished.

EXPERIMENTS.

Exhaustive experiments were made with Jadoo fibre (and liquid) which has been highly recom- mended as a substance in which plants may be grown either entirely or mixed with the usual composts, out the results do not offer any encouragement to continue its use for any purpose whatever.