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general untidiness, ragged, weedy edges, etc., which detract greatly from 

 the general appearance of the place. 



Clearing. — During the year the work of cutting out useless trees, 

 opening up vistas and of giving growing space to useful and ornamental 

 trees was proceeded with. 



This work was rather difficult in many instances, where rare and 

 useful trees have been planted without due consideration, or perhaps 

 sufficient knowledge of their requirements, and which have now out- 

 grown their allotted space and require more room, which can only be 

 given at the expense of other good trees. 



Plant House. — The plant house, which was repaired and re-roofed 

 in the end of 1906, was arranged early in the year. The whole centre 

 of the house being used for rockwork with small paths running through 

 it, the sides as before being retained for pot plants. The general effect 

 is very fine, almost all the plants have made excellent growth, those in 

 the rockeries where root room is not restricted have in many instances 

 made noble specimens. 



In the centre of the house is a specimen of the beautiful tree 

 fern (Alsophia sp.) which is so common on the Taipeng hills. This 

 plant is now recovering from the effects of removal and will in time 

 become very effective. 



The collection of plants in the garden has been considerably en- 

 riched during the year by the addition of a very fine named lot of 

 foliage plants obtained from the Botanic Gardens, Singapore. Many 

 of the subjects were used for planting out on the rockeries, the others 

 being retained as pot plants. The varieties of achimenes and gesnera 

 grown in pots flowered well and were very effective for a long period, 

 as was also a batch of Jacobinia coccinea, both planted out and in pots, 

 which flowered several times during the year. 



Two fine specimens of platycerium, both different species, were 

 obtained, and as hanging plants add greatly to the appearance of the 

 house. 



Fern and Orchid Houses. — The fern and orchid houses, erected in 

 the end of 1906, were fitted up with staging and filled with plants early 

 in the year. 



A small collection of orchids was obtained by purchase from 

 the Botanic Gardens, Singapore. The fern house was filled partly from 

 stock in hand and partly from plants obtained from Bangalore and 

 other sources. 



Things horticultural in the open garden leave much to be desired, 

 the present arrangement of beds of shrubs and flowering plants cannot 

 be considered as satisfactory. It was intended to arrange the beds 

 and borders near the plant house during the last wet season, but this 

 was found to be impossible owing to so much of the writer's time being 

 taken up with planting arrangements at the Experimental Plantation. 



The giant orchid ( Grammatophyllum speciosum) which had not 

 bloomed, I understand, for several years, flowered this year, carrying 

 at one period 14 well-developed spikes. 



Several trees and shrubs when in flower were very effective, not- 

 ably the large masses of Bouganvillea and the clumps of Petrea volu- 

 bilis. 



