297 



In 1822, the Botanic Gardens at Ayer Hitam in Penang were 

 founded, but I am not sure whether they were on the site of CHRIS- 

 TOPHER SMITH'S original spicn gardens, or when the latter ceased 

 to exist. The Ayer Hitam Gardens were put under the charge of 

 GEORGE PORTER, a schoolmaster with a taste for botany, who sent 

 many specimens of Penang plants to WALLICH, which were distri- 

 buted in the Wallichian Collections. PORTER remained there in 

 charge till 1834, when the gardens were sold by Governor Mur- 

 CHISON for 1,250 rupees. The importance of Botanic Gardens in 

 the early part of last century does not appear to have been under- 

 stood by the Governors of Singapore and Penang, and it is stated 

 that Porter had some trouble with the Governor, because the 

 latter's wife complained that he did not cultivate enough vegetables 

 for her table, this being the only use conceivable by His Excellency 

 of Botanic Gardens. 



With the retirement and death of Sir STAMFORD RAFFLES, pro- 

 gress in agriculture commenced to dwindle and though Dr. OXLEY, 

 and a few other Europeans took a certain amount of interest in the 

 subject, little advance was made in cultivation for many years. 

 Planting certainly increased in some directions under the hands of 

 the Chinese, and also under Europeans, Nutmegs, Cloves, Coco- 

 nuts, Sugar, Gambir and Pepper were grown to a considerable 

 extent, but only empirically and without the aid of any scientific 

 botanist. The result of this method was shown in the sudden 

 collapse of the Nutmeg plantations in i860, entailing enormous 

 losses of capital and general despondency. Later again came the 

 devastation of the Coco-nut estates by the two Coco-nut beetles, 

 added to which came considerable losses of money due to various 

 speculations of amateur planters, one of which is mentioned by 

 MURTON in his first Annual Report. 



An Agricultural and Horticultural Society was founded about 1837 

 in Singapore, when Dr. MONTGOMERIE was President, and Dr. 

 OXLEY took a leading part in it. Papers were read on Cotton plant- 

 ing and other subjects, and it is said all the European gentlemen 

 then in Singapore belonged to it. It seems to have died a natural 

 death about 1846, about which time a similar society was founded in 

 Penang under the name of the Agricultural Planters' Association. 



In 1859, another Agri-Horticultural Society was founded in 

 Singapore. This was chiefly really a Horticultural Society and 

 commenced the laying out of a portion of what are now the pre- 

 sent Botanic Gardens. The Gardens were supported by public 

 subscription, aided by Fancy Bazaars and Exhibitions, but as has 

 often happened in similar societies the subscriptions at last proved 

 insufficient, and in 1874 the Gardens were taken over by the 

 Government. In 1874, Mr. JAMES COLLINS was appointed Economic 

 Botanist and also took charge of the Raffles Museum. He is chiefly 

 known for his work on Rubber published in 1 879-1 891, and he 

 also started the Journal of East Asia, of which, however, only a 

 single number was published. He made a collection of gums^ 



