XXVII. MALAYAN ORCHID SOCIETY 
81. Mr. A. G. Alphonso served on the committee for the year 1961/62. 
Mr. Bajuri was Hon. Secretary of the Society’s Panel of Judges. The Gardens 
gave strong support to the Society’s monthly exhibitions and annual show, 
and contributed regularly descriptions of new hybrids for publication in the 
Malayan Orchid Review. 
XXVIII. FILM PRODUCTION 
82. One studio has from time to time come ‘on location’ in the Gardens,, 
but the tempo of production of previous years has slackened. 
XXIX. ADVISORY 
83. Many visits were paid by the horticultural staff to advise on planting 
schemes in school (80 schools sought advice) and hospital compounds, at 
Police Stations and at charitable institutions. Advice was given to the Public 
Works Department in connection with a number of their projects including 
the Industrial Development Project, Jurong. The Prison Reformation Training 
Centre, Changi, The National Library, and at ‘Temasek’. Kuala Lumpur. 
The Director^and Curator both paid visits to Pulau Senang Settlement to 
offer advice on planting. A quantity of irritant plant juices and irritant plant 
hairs was prepared for the Police as an experiment in curbing unruly crowds 
to exchange baton and broken heads for a more sardonic touch. This interest- 
ing experiment has however not been carried out. 
84. As much advice and more was tendered by telephone and corres- 
pondence, not a little of which has gone to the Federation of Malaya. Many 
requests for advice related to the safety of trees adjacent to buildings. 
85. The botanical staff continued to deal with enquiries relating to 
identity and uses of plants. Much interest was shown in marine algae and 
in edible mushroom cultivation, fostered, no doubt, by the spate of Lepiota 
poisoning recorded above. The Gardens collaborated with the Health Autho- 
rities and the Pharmacology Department of the University of Singapore over 
this poisoning, and issued a press release describing how to distinguish 
between safe and unsafe species. 
86. The very great amount of enquiries received is a good and satisfying 
indication of the service the Gardens plays for the public weal. The extent 
of these enquiries is certainly increasing. Though the primary function of 
the Gardens is research, the culmination of research is knowledge from out 
of which enquiries can be correctly answered and advice reliably given. 
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