Sessional_Paper_1907 — Page 608

HONGKONG.

No. 1907

13

REPORT ON THE BOTANICAL AND FORESTRY DEPARTMENT, FOR THE YEAR 1906.

Laid before the Legislative Council by Command of

His Excellency the Officer Administering the Government.

GARDENS AND Grounds,

Garden Notes. To make up for the losses and disappointments caused by the weather, the year was characterized by a quite unusual influx of useful additions to the herbaceous collections. From Mr. W. H. WALLACE, whose garden at Amoy is one of the most beautiful in the coast ports, came two of the best acquisitions, viz., a large variety of Hemerocallis aurantiaca and Cosmos "Eldorado", both of which are doubtless destined to play

an important part in Hongkong gardens. No less important from the point of view of their probable wide cultivation in the Colony are the greatly improved varieties of Canna which Mr. J. BARTON, after importing and successfully growing them for a year, most courteously placed at my disposal. There is no plant that contributes more bountifully to our local gardens than the Canna and these finer sorts should soon be widely known. For the same reason but in a less degree Alpinia malaccensis collected by Mr. E. H. WILSON in Yunnan in 1899 and presented to the Gardens may replace our common but less beautiful Alpinia nutans. Besides these Verbena venosa, received from the Superintendent of Parks and Open Spaces at Shanghai is sure to become a favourite, as it is a vigorous and showy summer annual. By sending seeds of Gomphocarpus physocarpus Lady BLAKE has added one more to the list of interesting novelties for which the Hongkong Gardens are indebted to her. Among the numerous useful and ornamental plants introduced through the kindness of our Chief Justice, Sir FRANCIS PIGGOTT, from Mauritius during the year must be mentioned Ipomea coccinea an important addition to our October flowering plants. It is remarkable that one of the most showy plants in the gardens during that month was Artemisia lactiflora, the whole of our stock of which was raised from a single plant which appeared casually in the gardens in 1905.