June 12, 1895.1
THE BOTANIC GARDENS IN 1894. The following are extracts from the report of the Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department for 1894.–
GENERAL.
{
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT
417
with hot-water apparatus, which could be heated | very clittle time for herbarium work beyond from one modern improved boiler. The ap-preserving the contents of the herbarium in paratus could be provided at a very moderate good condition. cost and the consumption of fuel would be very The Director of the Royal Gardens, Kew, pre- small for the short time during which artifical sented a collection of about 200 dried specimens heat is essential.
of plants, chiefly Chinese.
ORCHIDS.
The year under review was distinguished by a series of adverse events which imposed an almost A very fair amount of success has been continuous strain on the resources of the depart-achieved in the cultivation of orchids. This ment to contend with the difficulties which arose | success is anfficiently proved to encourage the in maintaining with as little injury as possible | continuation of efforts to cultivate and extend the various charges with which it is entrusted; the collections. Some orchids can be grown well but, in spite of all the strenuous efforts which in open shaded, houses, but many of them at were exerted, and which were successful to a certain periods would be better in glass houses, great extent, considerable damages were while another class of orchids-those from hotter sustained both in the gardens and plantations | regions--should be always under glass. Glass of the colony. The events to which I allude houses are not only needed to provide a higher were-(i.) drought in the early part of the year, temperature for part of the year, but also to (ii) the plague of caterpillars in May and June, protect the plants from storms of wind and rain. and (iii.) a series of typhoons in September and A suitable glass house could be erected in the October.
nursery at a small cost, and it could be heated from the same biler which I have alluded to above in my proposition for heating the other houses.
1
The suppression of the caterpillar plague oooupied the almost undivided attention of the whole staff-oxoept the Gardens' men, and many of these were also employed-for a period of two months, so that ordinary work had to be almost suspended during that time. For part of the time an additional clerk was lent from the Colonial Secretary's Office to assist in keeping accounts connected with the destruction of cater pillars.
!
Five typhoons visited the colony within 28 days in September and October; they occurred on September 10th, 18th, 24th, and 29th, and October 6th, respectively.
DROUGHT.
Daring the first three months of the year only 2.46 inches of rain fell in the Gardens, and from April 1st to May 6th there were only 3.03 inches. The usual water supply to the Gardens wAS SO suddenly diminished, and to such an extent, that plants in pols were exposed to great danger of being lost, and they were only saved by prompt arrangements which I made for obtaining water by carrying it from two trickling streams, which were temporarily dammed, outside the Gardens. An additional small supply was obtained by re-opening a well within the Gardens which had been closed for many years. The scanty supply procured, was only enough for the plants which were in greatest needs neded for both plan, and lawal. The only lawns which can be irrigated, even when water is turned on continually, are those surrounding the flower beds; all the grass turf in the parts becomes as brown as hay throughout the dry
derson,
A more ample supply in dry seasons is | |
TYPHOONS.
On the approach of all typhoons extensive and troublesome preparations are always made to secure plants and property against damages as far as possible; the preparations for the 1894 typhoons were in all cases effectual so far as they went, but the October typhoon was of such violence as to plaos many things out of the bounds of practicable protection, and very great destruction and damage to`large trees and shrubs inevitably occurred. Immunity from destruc- tive storms for many years past had allowed the general effect of the Gardens to reach a state of great beauty, which, however, the last storm wrecked in a cruel manner, and it will be many under the most favourable circumstances. before the Gardens cau recover the beauty which was so greatly marred,
The clearing away of débris and preparations for replanting, &c., occupied all available time up to the end to 1894 and well into the present
your.
GLASS HOUSES.
LAWN CATERPILLAR (THIALLETA SIGNIFEBA, WALK.)
This caterpillar has given the usual trouble to circumvent its action in the destruction of lawns. It seems impossible to stamp it out, but the remedy-Jeyes fluid, dilated-previously reported, is the best thing yet discovered to keep it in check.
Dr. Augustine Henry also sent collections amounting to 767 specimens which he had sol- looted in South Formosa during his residence there.
Specimens were also received from Dr. George King, F.R.S., &c., Superintendent of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Caloutta; and from the Rer. Father Bodinier, of Hongkong plants, many of which were found last year by Father Bodinier for the first time in Hongkong.
Father Bodinier has in his Botanical researokes made constant use of the herbarium and library throughout the year, and he has expressed Mia high appreciation of their usefulmons to him in his studies.
PLAN OF GARDENS,
I am pleased to say that the Honourable the Director of Public Works has kindly under- taken to provide a plan of the Gardens. When it is complete I purpose producing a Guide to the Gardens, which should be of use to visitors.
says:
AFFORESTATION IN 1894.
The Superintendent of the Botanical and The Cornell University Agricultural Ex-Afforestation Department, in his report for 1894, periment Station last year published an elabo- rate bulletin by Mr. E. P. Felt on * Grass- Eating Insects" of the genus Crambus, but amongst the remedies there given there is no thing which is as effective for the Thiolleta as that which has been adopted here.
EXCHANGE OF LAND.
12
When the new Gardens were being formed in 1871 an old open nullah was built over and covered with soil. It was afterwards discovered that this nullah was a boundary of the “ Gandaly property, and that by the filling up of the nullah and laying out of the new land as a portion of the Gardens an encroachment had been made by the Government on the " Glenealy" property. This property subsequently changed hands and the new Roman Catholic Cathedral was then built on it. Last year the Cathedral authorities re-
Ordinary work was accomplished in spite of, and in addition to, the very large amount of work which was thrown on the department by the plague of caterpillars at the beginning of summer and the typhoons at its end, but during the periods of those calamitons events regular operations were temporarily suspended,
PLANTING.
The number of trees planted was smaller than in most previous years; this is accounted for chiefly by the gradual reduction of expenses which has been introduced now that available and suit- able planting lands have been to a great extent fled up, and by the contractor having failed to produce the stipulated quantity of trees, in consequence of losses in the nurseries which were sustained owing to much of the land having could be given them in exchange for the 1871 In the contratovided for a large number of
an extension of land and proposed that it been flooded by storm water,
trees for encroachment, to which the Government acceded, This arrangement readjusts the boundary line Cunninghamia sinensis in place of a correspond- of the Gardens to the mutual satisfaction of bothing value of the ordinary pine. The contractor succeeded in supplying 20,000 good trees of this parties and gives a well-defined line.
kind, and they were planted and have done well so far. I purpose, as far as possible, to mab- stitute this tree for the common pine in all future work.
PLANT SALES.
In 1893 the receipts for plants sold were abnormally large and in 1894 they did not reach the same high figure. The receipts amounted
Upwards of 1,000 trees of Liquedamber for- to $501.75 for 2,338 plants which were sold. The orders received were 326, about half the mosana were also planted, and they made exoel- number being cash transactions. It will be re-lent progress. I intended to use this tree more membered that the Government make no proft on these sales, which are for the benefit of the purchasers only.
It seems incomprehensible why many pur chasers will not apply nsual business habits when sending orders for plants, paying accounts, &o.; but, on the contrary, will so frequently send communications addressed to me personally, the result being, in case of my absence, which is naturally frequent, that inconvenience and un- necessary work is given to themselves and us, as that portion of the staff whose duty it is to attend to sales are unable to open covers addressed to me personally, instead of their being as they should be so addressed that any one in the office can open them and attend at once to the business.
extensively, but there is some dimoulty in obtain- ing suficient seeds; for those which have been- obtained I am indebted to Mr. F. 8. A. Bourne, H.M. Vice-Consul at Canton. A further supply of seeds was obtained in December, but unfor tunately very few matured on the trees last year consequently, instead of the large number of trees which I expected to have, very few wore obtained for planting in 1895.
Special attention was also given to Bischofia javanica, an indigenous tree, about 600 having been planted.
One tree which was
The timber of Liquedamber is valuable for making ten chests, as no odour is given off which would taint the tea. The wood of Bischofia, in in request by local boat-builders, being valuable for janks' and boats' knees. Whether marketable timber can be produced in Hongkong in any LOAN OF PLANTS TOR DECORATION. The loan of plants is almost confined to the quaătity requires time to prove. In favoured winter months. At the commencement of the situations, however, it is certain that good last season a new regulation came into force timber can be grown. which required payment being made for the use blown down by a typhoon sold for $5 where it of the plants. This, no doubt, operated in cans.
The required supply of Cunninghamia seed ing a diminution of the quantity of plants ap. plied for, although the charge made in only 5 failed last year, the reason which the contractor cents per plant, calculated to just cover the cost alleged for the failure being that the typhoons of growing them. The number of plants lent | had destroyed the cones before the seeds were was 3,210, being 877 less than in the previous ripe. As the seeds bave hitherto been obtained year; of the 3,210 lent, 2,276 were lent before from distant parts of the Kwangtung province the new regulation in regard to payment came I had no means of verifying his statement. into force. $47.40 was received for plants lent on hire.
~Daring a portion of the cold season the temperature falls so low that many tender plants which have to be kept or housed during the coldest weather in glass houses suffer from cold. This has been remedied to a slight extent by the use of kerosine stoves, which, however, besides being troublesome and giving off an offensive smell, afford insuffici-nt heat, and I fear that fumes proceeding from the stoves are injurious to plant life. I had funnels, with tubes attached, placed over the stores, and the tubes carried through the roofs of the Louses, and ́ào arranged that injurious fumes were carried off without their coming into contact with the plants, but also that the heat was retained al- most completely within the houses. The heat obtainable by this means is, however, insufficient. The unusual circumstances which I referred
All the glass houses should now be provided to and my absence on vacation leave left but,
'HERBARIUM AND LIBRARY.
laid.
FLOWERING OF BAMBOOS.
One species of bamboo (Bambusa Tulda, Boxb.) flowered more profusely and genera Hongkong and Kowloon than in any previons year of my experience. It seeded. also, spari
...
Page 10Page 11
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.