i'44: THE PLAXT WORLD. 



have proved to be of the greatest value to tlie rubber planting in- 

 dnstrv of the ^Malay Peninsula. 



Varieties of China grass {Boehmeria) are grown in a num- 

 ber of plats to ascertain the suital)ilit_v of this tiber ])lant for local 

 soil and climate. 



Many gntta percha producing plants occnr in ^[alaya, and 

 most of the indigenous plants of this character are grown in rlio 

 garden. The Getah Sundik {Payena Lecrii) , Dichopsis species, 

 such as D. CaJophyUa, and I). ohJongifolia. Wllloiu/hhein and 

 others are included in the garden collection, (^uitc a nunil)er of 

 different bamboos are planted, and all tropical fruit trees occiu". 



A large arboretum, in which the plants are arrangcMl sys- 

 tematically, has been established, and this is of great interest to 

 the student of economic botany. 



It is worth mentioning that the excellent condition of the 

 Singapore Botanic Gardens is entirely due to the untiring eft'orts 

 of Mr. Ridley, who took over the directorshi]) of the gardens in 

 1884, only a short time after thev had been laid out and begun 

 by his predecessor, Mr. Cantley. With Mr. Ridley as guide \ 

 had many an interesting and instructive stroll through the gar- 

 den, and after seventeen different visits I still felt that I couM 

 have spent with benefit considerably more time there. 



VIII. Kuala Lr.Miu r Bota>"ic Gardein^ 



It may be necessary to give some geographical details re- 

 garding this i)lace, which probably is unknown to most readers. 

 Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Selangor, one of the Federated 

 Malay kStates. The little town is situated some thirty miles 

 from the coast at the foot of the backbone range of the Penin- 

 sula. 



The garden is most picturesque and laid out with good taste. 

 [ts total area exceeds 170 acres. A great munber of native 

 plants are to be seen here, as well as many common tropical and 

 subtropical trees and cultivated plants. The garden is mainly 

 a landscape garden and cannot so far claim much interest as a 

 botanical establishment. The garden has for a nundier of years 



