12 
Economic Plants. 
37. Vitis marteni. — The Saigon vine has fruited here twice. The grapes are 
small, black, with rather large seeds, though sweet. They have the great disadvantage, 
common to most wild grapes, of being full of raphides, which give a rough sensation 
to the tongue. This could probably be got rid of by cultivation. 
Ficus canca. — The figs seem to be getting more fructiferous, but the fruits 
have but a poor flavour, and are rather dry, probably the position of the few fruiting 
trees exposed too much to the sun is the cause of this, and further the birds and 
bats- are so fond of them that they have to be covered up before they are ripe, which 
is injurious to the flavour. 
Watercress. — The few scraps of Watercress found here in December of last 
year, were carefully planted, and the result has been a number of beds which produce 
large supplies. There has been tolerably regular request to be supplied with it by 
the public, as soon as it was known that it was on sale in the Botanic Gardens, at 
20 cents a bunch. A few persons have purchased plants for cultivation, and as it is 
very easy to cultivate, it is hoped it may soon become a permanent article of food 
in the Straits. It can be grown in beds — in good damp soil or in flower-boxes, and 
in this way the coarseness of the plant when grown in water here may be avoided. 
Cloves . — The avenue of clove trees planted along the walk through the experi- 
mental garden shewed signs of sickliness, and one by one began to die; on investi- 
gating the cause of this, it appeared that at about. a foot’and a-half below the surface 
of the soil, there is a deposit of clay, and between the two strata the water remains 
stagnant and unable to drain away through the clay. The trees had put their roots 
threugh the soil into the water, ai^ although the roots had turned upwards again 
and otherwise tried to avoid it, the^trees sickened and all began to die. They have 
heen replaced by Glam ( Melaleuca leucadendron ), a tree which is less injured by 
water at the roots. Many Eucalypti also planted in this portion of the garden have 
perished from the same cause. 
Sugar-cane— It is to be regretted that Sireh disease has attacked the Sugar- 
cane, indetM the disease appears to be too well established in the Straits. At present 
little is known about it, but it appears to be due to a nematoid worm. The disease 
occurs here also in the stems of Cordyline. I hope to examine carefully the state 
of the sugar plantations here, and see what steps, if any, can be taken against it. 
Gambier. — This important product of Singapore still maintains its high price, 
but there are many complaints from England that the imported article is heavily 
adulterated with water, or at least contains an excessive quantity of it. In order 
to trace, if possible, the origin of this excess, samples of gambier taken from the 
field, fresh from the boiling-shed, were sent to Mr. Evans of Bristol, who is inter- 
ested in the tanning trade. 1 submit his analysis with that of a sample of block- 
gambier received by him in the ordinary course of trade : — 
Gambier from the field. 
Trade Gambier. 
Tannin, .. 
... 11.48 
14.68 
Organic matter, 
... 30.11 
42.26 
Water, ... 
53-39 
31.89 
Ash, 
... 446 
6.34 
Loss, 
... 0.56 
4.88 
100.00 
100.00 
This result shews that there is actully less water in the trade article than in the 
gambier taken directly from the coolies’ hands, and negatives the suggestion that the 
town towkay ■ adulterated the gambier after receiving "it in Singapore with water to 
make it heavier. The other suggestion that the gambier has deteriorated of late years 
from insufficient inspissalion owing to less fuel being used in boiling seems more' 
probable. In earlier years, when there was no attempt made to protect the forests 
the destruction of firing was very large, and fuel could be had in large quantities. 
Now the results of wasteful destruction are being felt, firewood is getting more 
expensive and difficult to get, and the gambier is insufficiently boiled and dried. 
Persons interested in the trade recently conceived the idea of forming here a 
company to cultivate gambier on a large scale, but this has fallen through, and there 
is an idea that this product may be cultivated more profitably, i. e., with European 
labour, in others of our colonies. Consequently most botanical establishments have 
applied to the Singapore Gardens for seeds or young plants this year. A large 
-quantity of seed was carefully collected and dried here and distributed widely, but 
