so as to put the Gardens of the Straits Settlements on the level in 

 staff of some, at least, of the smaller Gardens of the other Colonies 

 wf ms'ted in the Estimates for the next year, but circumstances 

 prevented this addition to the staff being made. 



The keen demand for Para rubber seed from the ' Garden trees 

 necessitated the frequent mowing and cleaning of he ground and 

 drains so as to procure every possible seed, and as this part ot the 

 Garden is hardfy above sea-level and the ground frequently flooded 



young Rubber ground, formerly under grass, three times over : so as 

 to thoroughly eradicate the grass and weeds. The plot is 300 yards 

 ta^ao SS^wide, and when it had been thoroughly cleaned 

 ^d^ saffidently dry it was planted up in blocks with Tap.oca 

 Ground-nuts, Ramie, Lemon Grass, Citronella and Cus-Cus. 

 Hitherto it had been impossible to grow the rubber trees ; here on 

 account of a plague of brown slugs which, concealed by day m the 

 grass weeds, attacked the buds of the rubber by night preventing 

 its growth. The result of this cultivation of catch-crops between 

 the v >ung rubber has been the extermination of this pest, and the 

 growth of the young plants very satisfactory. 



The question of catch-crops for rubber has been one of the 

 — important ones of the year, and is the subject of a large 

 spondence. It is regrettable that the 



i gardei 



city of the staff prevents time being gn 

 subject carried out as they should be. 

 A good deal of Colonial interest during the past two years ! 

 a taken in fibres of all sorts, and the plot of ^opened! 

 r has been maintained and large stocks of the most likely ht 

 cultivation here have been raised. 

 Among the most free-growing fibres as judged by 



zeylan: 



UppUl! 



ulcata and S. cylindrical have proved ^thy. 



Mauritius hemp grows well in ordinary so.ls. Sisal nemp 

 been kept under observation, but does not seem to do well , 

 essentially a plant for dry sandy loose soil. 



xt The Coffee and Rambong ground has been well maintair 

 part of the Gardens is well suited to these plants, but ror 

 Purpose of meeting the demand for Rambong (b icus east, 

 ^ttings it has been possible to produce 150 rooted cuttings 

 * n i ng ' an f, thou g h the P ar , eni 



t batch of J 



Plants they will serve as stock plants. 1 

 however, for seed and seedlings, and a st 

 raised here were disposed of through the ye; 



