Supplement to this Day's Issue. 
ROYAL BOTANIC GARDENS. 
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR FOR 1891. 
1.— Movements of the Staff. 
The Director, by permission of His Excellency the Governor, visited in the early part of the 
year the Botanic Gardens at Singapore and at Buitenzorg (Java), being absent on that duty from 
February 27 to April 5. I had long desired to have an opportunity of examining the two principal 
botanical establishments in Malaya, and especially the great scientilic iTistitution kept up by the 
Oovernment of the Dutch Indies. During this short visit I acquired much new information, and 
made many useful additions to our collections, as will be seen in this report ; and 1 may add here 
a few notes as to the character of the two Gardens in general. 
There is little to be said about that at Singapore, which is situated close to the town, and has 
to fulfil somewhat of the part of a public park as well as of a scientific garden. Both aspects are 
'veil carried out : there is more ornamental gardening than we are accustomed to see in Ceylon, 
the turf is well kept, and the flower-beds very neat for a tropical climate, whilst there is a large and 
valuable collection of rare Malayan plants. The ground for the experimental culture of economic 
plants is separated by some distance from the Garden itself, which is a very good arrangement. The 
Director has under him a European Head Gardener and two or three good native assistants ; and 
has a^o charge of branch gardens, each under a trained English gardener, at Penang and Malacca, 
the Herbarium and Library are being rapidly extended and improved. 
p 1 - Dutch botanical establishment at Buitenzorg is of a different character from this or any 
English one, not even excepting Kew, and is maintained entirely on a scientific basis. The 
irector has the control of all the six departments into which the institution is divided, as 
o ows Ij the Herbarium, Library, and Museum ; 2, the Botanical Laboratory ; il, the Experi- 
mental Garden and Laboratory for Agricultural Chemistry ; 4, the Pharmacological Laboratory ; 
• , the Botanic Gardens ; (!, the Photographic Institution. Each of these departments is under the 
immediate management of a highly trained scientific or technical chief from Holland, and most of 
_ lese have also an assistant. There is thus a very large stalf of Europeans. The Laboratories, 
ibrary, &c., are completely stocked, and kept fully up to the time, and everything is provided for 
att^^ and original research in all branches of botanical study. Many students are thus 
‘ fvein Europe, and the Laboratories afford accommodation for a considerable number of 
mrkers. A valuable serial publication, the “ Annales du Jard. Buitenzorg,” is issued at intervals, 
subjects botany, and another one, “ Tei jsmannia,” occupied with economic and garden 
tion Dotanic Gardens themselves at Buitenzorg occupy between GO and 70 acres, at an eleva- 
railiu abundant water, and are well protected bv a high iron 
Natn^i n .wire fence. Nearly the whole is occupied by a classified arboretum, each 
is el'll Drder being isolated by a road or path. The collection is extremely rich, and everj' species 
never^To^^^^' labelled vyith upright labels made of the very hard wood of Eiisiderojcijfon, which is 
much termites. The whole is now much too crowded, and cannot be said to be of 
550 , but is of course extremely convenient for scientific study. Connected with Buiten- 
also ^mall Hill-garden at Tijbodas, 4,700 ft., also under a European superintendent, where is 
the Director and a laboratory and accommodation for four students, 
acres jjT^^^ /'^^P^^'imeutal Garden (Cultuur-tuin) is about two miles from the main Garden, and is 200 
product ^ >iot all at present occupied. It is laid out in square plots, each devoted to one 
Here ar ’ corner, give the name, date of sowing or planting, and other information, 
made “‘“D’ plants of great interest. Though a large distribution of seeds and plants is 
planters and others, no charge is made for anything. 
