432 
23. The approach to the Convalescent Bungalow, 
which was in an untidy condition has been chared, 
dug over, sloped and turfed. 
24. The long continuous flowerbeds on the terraces 
have been broken up into irregular groups, and entirely 
replanted, the intervening spaces being turfed. 
25. The rose beds have been deeply trenched, and, 
as far as possible, re-planted with grafted or budded 
plants propagated on the spot, and these are doing 
much better than plants on their own root3. Many 
new varieties have been introduced from Calcutta, 
and it is hoped that by the end of another year the 
garden will be well stocked with young thriving plauts. 
26. The area available for vegetable cultivation has 
been greatly extended during the year, by cutting 
away the jungle and forming additional terraces. The 
cultivation of vegetables will, in future, be principally 
confined to this garden as it is in close proximity to 
the stables and piggery, the latter having been put up 
for the express purpose of obtaining manure. 
27. The five pigs purchased iu December, 1887, have 
increased during the year to twenty-one ; the total 
costoffcod being $76'C1. 
28. The general up-keep of roads, paths, &c, always 
an important item where the rainfall is heavy as in 
Penang, has been well attended to by Mr. Chandler, 
as well as the supervision of coolies employed on the 
va r ious improvements already detailed. It is to be 
regretted that this Officer is leaving, as it takes at 
least a year for a man with no previous experience of 
working coolies or gardening, to acquire the knowledge 
necessary for carrying on the work economically and 
expeditiously. 
29. The capabilities of this garden have never been 
fully developed, no one with a practical knowledge of 
the cultivation of plants having been stationed on the 
spot, and the Officers appointed to the post of Signal 
Sergeant leave, or a^e removed, by the time they begin 
to take an interest in this subject. 
30. In the Experimental Nursery there has been a 
greater amounted of fever than usual among the men 
employed, and very frequent changes. 
31. Since the promotion of Mr. P. Nieukey to the 
post of Overseer, Waterfall Garden, in June last, no 
competent man has been in charge of this nursery. 
Applications were made to the Singapore and Calcutta. 
Botanic Gardens, but in neither case could a man be 
spared. An advertisement was then inserted in the 
local newspaper, but the applicants were none of them 
of the class to be desired. Eventually a Ceylon man, * 
whose testimonials as to general character were satis- 
factory, but with no previous knowledge of garden 
work, was taken on probation, but during the absence 
on leave of the Assistant Superintendent in November 
he left under the plea of ill-health. 
32. In spite of this difficulty, the general up-keep has 
been fairly maintained, and the young stock made satis- 
factory progress. 
33. The tree tomatoes continue to bear, and one of 
the apple trees from Australia produced eight fruits of 
large size and fair flavour. The oranges and citrons 
should commence bearing next year. 
43. The olives continue to make progress, one tree 
having attained a height of twelve feet, with a circum- 
ference of six inches at the bas», but there is no sign of 
its producing fruit. 
V. — General. 
57. Four hundred species of Penang plants have been 
added to the herbarium, and duplicates of each for- 
warded to the Royal Gardens, Kew, for determination. 
Two hundred and seventy surplus specimens have been 
presented to other botanical establishments, and eighty 
received in exchange. 
58. One thousand one hundred and twenty-two plants, 
and sixty-three packets of seeds, exclusive of those 
obtained by purchase, were received during the year ; 
and two-thousand five hundred and forty-one plants, 
and sixty-one packets of seeds distributed, exclusive of 
those supplied for road -sides. A list of the principal 
donors and recipients is given in Appendix O. 
C. Curtis, 
Assistant Superintende nt of Forests, ciuing. 
* Who can this be ?— Ed. 
Appendix B. 
Report on the Forests of the Dindings. 
As pointed out in my report on the agricultural con- 
dition of this District, the timber and other forest 
produce constitutes a most valuable crop, in many 
places of greater va'.ue, all things considered, than 
anything that could be put on the land were the exist- 
ing forests destroyed. 
2. The District has not been surveyed, but the approx- 
imate area is two hundred square miles, of which, so far 
as I can judge from a hurried visit, at least two-thirds 
are more or less covered with forests containing a 
large proportion of valuable timber trees, such as, 
Cheng al, Damar laut, Tairq>enis, Jferebau, Meranti, and 
others of more or less value ; which, nroperly managed, 
will prove a permanent source of revenue. 
3. The population is scanty, and consequently there 
are but few of the difficulties to be met with that have 
been encountered in demarcating and settling the 
reserved areas in other parts of the Straits Settlements. 
4. The facilities for removing and marketing the 
produce in Penang are greater than in any other Crown 
forests at this end of tbe Settlement. 
5. Local steamers call regularly at Pangkor for fire- 
wood, and as the trade between Penaug and Lower Perak 
increases, the demand for firewood is certain to increase 
also, thus affording a market for produce that is often 
wasted or of little value. 
6. Other sources of revenue are, damar, wood-oil, 
rotans, getah, bertam, &c , lal of which will have to be 
taken into consideration in the future administration of 
these forests. 
7. The present system of allowing Chinese to cut 
where and how they choose, on payment of royalty to 
the Government varying from three to nine cents per 
cubic foot for logs up to twenty feet in length, and a 
proportionally higher sum for greater length*, will, in a 
few years destroy all the more valuable timbers. In 
some places this is already the case, as I am informed 
by the District Officer, who remarks, and my own ob- 
servations agree, that one of the most valuable timbers — 
cheugal — will soon be exhausted unless protection and a 
different system of working be applied. 
8. The tame thing has happened in Penang with the 
best form of damar laut, (Shorea sp.) which is specifi- 
cally distinct from, and vastly superior to, the timber 
now generally known under that name. 
Old Malays inform me that the best form of damar 
laut, known as No. satu was plentiful thirty or forty 
years ago, but I know from experience tb.it at the present 
time it is difficult to find a single tree. 
9. The revenue derived from forest produce in the 
Dindings during the past three years amounts to 
$20,61101, but I have no information what proportion 
of that sum is derived from minor products. I think, 
however, it may be safely assumed that for this sum 
half a million cubic feet of timber have been re- 
moved, and a large quantity wasted, as there is under 
the present system no incentive to economy in working. 
10. The suggestions I have to offer are that a large 
proportion of this District, — (a) be declared Forest 
Reserve, and worked on a system that will ensure 
natural reproduction from seed, and also ensure that the 
quantity of timber removed does not exceed the annual 
yield of the forest ; (b) to do this the reserved area must 
first be marked out in blocks, and compartments, for 
convenience in working, the boundaries surveyed, and 
suilable maps prepared ; (c) by careful examination the 
contents of each compartment should be ascertained, 
the kinds and proportion of timber trees and other 
revenue-yielding produce noted, and the approximate 
normal yearly increase ascertained ; (d) trees to be 
removed during tbe year from the compartment or com- 
partments to be operated on should be marked by a 
competent person, and then sold by auction standing, 
removed by Government agene}', or under a modification 
of the present system, as experience may prove best ; 
(e) restriction should be placed on the manufacture of 
" Sagors " by which process the greater portion of a 
whole tree (generally Chengal) of the first class is 
entirely wasted, to form the bottom portion of a native 
