104 



Botanic Gardens, Penang. 



Staff. 



!, — Mr. Fox went on leave on March 23rd, and there being 

 no Officer of the Department available to take his place, I was 

 placed in temporary charge in addition to my other duties. 



This arrangement continued during the remainder of the year, 

 but it could hardly be considered satisfactory. 



The Overseer, Mahomed Haniff, looked after the technical 

 work and did it extremely well ; the Gardens were kept by him 

 in excellent order, but in the absence of a properly qualified 

 European, scientific research made little or no progress. 



In addition to this the Clerk was transferred and a new man 

 with no experience of the work took his place. 



The Inspector under the Coconut Trees Preservation Ordinance 

 and the Mandor on the Hill died during the year. 



Buildings and Upkeep. 



2.— The office ceiling partially collapsed and it was found 

 necessary to make immediate repairs. So much damage had been 

 done in the past to the wood flooring by white ants that it was 

 decided to put in a cement flooring. A special vote of $1,500 was 

 granted by Government and this work was carried out. The roof 

 of the building was raised and the whole structure generally 



_ In the plant houses the atap roofing was replaced by ruberoid, 

 which has proved quite satisfactory and is more lasting. 



In several'of the houses the tables were cemented as a means 

 of keeping away the white ants. 



The roads were kept in good repair and the general condition 

 of the grounds and buildings reflects great credit on the Overseer 

 in charge. 



The new rockery near the stream below the wooden rustic 

 bridge was practically completed. A large number of ferns bag 

 been placed there, and a large specimen of the Impatiens Mirabuis 

 or Gouty Balsam obtained from the Langkawi Islands added. 



This rockery forms a very pleasant addition to the Gardens. 



.u 3— No new variety of plant was added to the Gardens durffl* 

 the year. The Overseer, however, performed several grafting 

 experiments. v 



The grafting of the well known "La France" rose on the 

 common local variety proved a success, a fine rose with a ntfrf 

 delicate odour being obtained. Some interesting results were ais 

 obtained by grafting the violet Allamanda on the yellow variety- 



