49. Pot plants, cut flowers and fresh vegetables were regularly made 
available for use at functions in the Domain, and pot plant decoration was 
supplied for the opening of Parliament. The high standard of horticulture 
achieved by the Istana staff is substantiated by the award of first prize at the 
Singapore Gardening Society 1965 Show to a large landscape group put up 
by the Istana of which large flowered zinnias and chrysanthemums were the 
centrepiece. 
50. By kind permission of the President, the grounds of the Istana 
were opened to the public on New Year’s Day (1st January), Chinese New 
Year’s Day (2nd February), Hari Raya Puasa (3rd February), Labour Day 
(1st May) and Deepavali (23rd October). 
XXVII. ORCHID RESEARCH 
51. During the year 104 hybrid pods were harvested; 18 pods of known 
parentage were accepted from Singapore growers, 4 from the Federation of 
Malaya and 37 from England. Of these 163 pods, 113 gave viable seeds. 
There were more than 2,300 flasks in constant use culturing seedlings, and 
seedlings of 702 flasks were taken out for potting. The flask culture medium 
used, as previously, is based on Dr. Vacin’s formula plus 10 per cent young 
coconut water, banana pulp and peptone. 1,685 maturing seedlings were 
removed from the seedling houses to be grown in the open and repotted 
into bigger pots, and 30 new and old beds were dug or redug for planting 
and replanting. 
52. As usual more than 100 flowering orchid plants were put out on 
display for the public, and changed once every week. 
53. The following hybrid families were named and registered to mark 
the state visit of Their Highnesses the Sultan and Sultanah of Trengganu to 
the Botanic Gardens on 23rd March: 
BGS. 2675 — Vanda Intan Trengganu (Vanda Norbert Alphonso x Vanda 
Sanderiana). 
BGS. 3002 — Dendrobium Ismail Trengganu (Den. Tumphal x Den. 
schuileri). 
The following were also registered: 
BGS. 1796 — Aranda Wee Huck Lay (Arachnis Ishbel x Vanda lamellata). 
BGS. 2268 — Vanda Oh Teow Tee (Vanda Ruby Prince x Vanda Caroline 
J. Robinson). 
BGS. 2807 — Dendrobium Ang Bee Neo (Den. Gillian x Den taurinum). 
BGS. 3004 — Denrobium Lee Ewe Boon (Den. Ellen Harris x Den. 
schuileri ). 
BGS. 3116 — Dendrobium Lim Swee Lim (Den. Tan Teo Kim x Den. 
Guadalcanal). 
BGS. 3222 — Vanda Delminda (Vanda Ruby Prince x Vanda Eisenhower). 
BGS. 3371 — Dendrobium Tess Kleinman (Den. Neo Hawaii x Den. 
Hawaiian Beauty). 
BGS. 3630 Sappanara Ahmad Zahab (Arachnopsis Eric Holttum x 
Renanthera storiei ). 
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