STRAITS SETTLEMENTS. 
Paper to be laid before tire Legislative Council by command 
of His Excellency tbe Administrator. 
Annual Export on the Botanical Gardens for the year 1879. 
Hot ax i e al Garde v s , 
Singapore, 25 th March, 1880 . 
m 
Sir —I have the honoiu’ to submit herewith my Annual Report on this department for 
the year 1870. 
To 
The Hon hie 
Cecil C. Smith, 
Ch airman of the Gardens Committee, 
Singapore. 
T have, Ac*., 
H. .1. Ml r R TON. 
* Superintendent. 
It E P O R T 
The extraordinary quantity of rain that ha* fallen in Singapore during the past year, 
y/’r., ill. 08 inches, has rendered the task of keeping the Gardens in good order. more than 
usually hard, as weeds have grown with such astonishing rapidity and vigour that a 
considerable portion of the time and labour that would otherwise have been devoted to 
carrying out projected improvement* has been necessarily taken up by matters of ordinary 
routine. 
It has, however, proved beneficial to alL the newly planted trees, Ac., and l have not to 
record the death of one specimen of tree or shrub of value or importance. 
One large specimen of Aram aria Cookii is showing sighs of decay, owing to attacks of 
white ants, and although various remedies have been applied, I have little hope of its recovery. 
This, however, 'will prove a very trifling loss, as the Gardens are rather overstocked with 
cone-shaped trees of this description already. 
A considerable number of alterations have been carried out during the year, which will 
doubtless prove improvements to the general appearance of the Gardens. 
A large clump of trees near the orchid house, which had become covered with coarse- 
growing climbers and served only to conceal a rubbish pit, has been removed, tbe pit filled 
up, and the ground sown with grass seeds. A large quantity of thoroughly decayed leaf- 
mould was obtained from this place, which has proved of material use for mixing with the 
compost for plants in pots. 
The ground on which the large Carnivora cages formerly stood has been drained, filled 
with suitable compost, and is now being laid out for tbe reception of the JRomeliacece, a very 
beautiful class of plants, to which, through the generosity of Dr. Scheffer, Java, and 
M*. Gqdefroy-Leijevf, Argenteuil, no less than 22 genera and 03 species have been added 
during tbe year. 
A number of old, unsightly plants of the Pumelow and “ Buah Kanarie” ( Canarium 
commune) have been removed from the lawn on the side of the Gardens nearest Tversall. 
where the soil is of the very worst description. 
A great improvement to the general appearance of the Gardens has been made by 
lifting the turf on the right-hand side of the drive leading past the lake to the Band-stand, 
and raising it above the level of the side-drains : over 100 carts of soil were used for this 
purpose. 
Hoads and Walks . — These have all been gone over during the year, and many of them 
entirely re-made. 360 cubic yards of laterite were placed on the road around the Band-stand 
alone, besides which the following roads have been entirely remetalled: — Road to Super- 
intendent’s Quarters ; road from junction near the palm clump past the orchid house to the 
long border ; road past palm clump to Cluny Road ; tbe road from the orchid house past the 
head of the lake : and the road from the Band-stand to Bogie is now undergoing a thorough 
repair. The main drive past the lake and over the hill has also undergone extensive 
repairs. 
