GARDENS AND FOREST DEPARTMENT, PENANG. 
Mr. C. Curtis, the Assistant Superintendent of Forests, reports as follows: — 
“ Waterfall Garden. 
29. The laying out and maintenance of this Garden; if not the most important 
work of the Department, is at any rate the best understood and appreciated by the 
public, and occupies the greater portion of my time. 
30. Besides the usual routine work of mowing, weeding, sweeping, manuring, 
replanting, maintenance of roads, paths, &c., many new and important works have 
been carried out by the garden coolies with the occasional assistance of one or two 
carpenters. 
31. Temporary lines for gardeners and coolies have been erected, by permission 
of the Hon’ble the Resident Councillor, on a plot of Crown land near the Hindoo 
Temple, about half a mile from the garden. 
32. The remainder of this .land has been utilised as a Nursery for the propaga- 
tion of shrubs, shade-trees, &c,, for which there is annually a steady demand for 
Government buildings, Municipal roads, &c., and for which there is no available land 
in the Waterfall Garden. 
33. A temporary plant-shed, forty feet by eighty, and twelve feet high in the 
centre, has been put up near the entrance gate. The interior of this shed is con- 
structed with soft stones obtained in the course of cutting a portion of new road, 
and among these the plants are disposed as naturally as possible. Aroids have been 
largely' used and are making satisfactory growth. The roof is of split bamboo laid 
sufficiently close together to break the full force of the sun, while at the same time 
affording a sufficiency of light. 
34. Plant-houses on this principle, constructed with light "7 iron and wire 
netting, are largely used in Calcutta, and are equally well adapted for the cultiva- 
tion of «the majority of plants in this climate. I think, however, that the substitution 
of Bertam chicks in lieu of wire netting would be an advantage, as being neater, 
and the distribution of light more equal than that produced by the material laid on 
the wire netting in India. 
35. A new shed one hundred feet long by eighteen feet broad, for the special 
cultivation of orchids, has been constructed with well-seasoned old timbers from the 
buildings removed to make room for the new Government Office, and the roof covered 
with Bertam chicks. The beds on which the plants are set are built eighteen inches, 
high, of rough stones, and the interstices planted with ferns, Selaginellas, and other 
small growing plants which have a pleasing effect. Judging from the progress made 
to date, this is not only the simplest and strongest, but also the most satisfactory as 
regards growth of plants, and thanks are due to the Deputy Colonial Engineer for 
the material, without which the work could not have been done. 
36. The small octagonal show-house, and two sheds in the Nursery, had to 
be renewed, as the posts were rotten. Advantage was taken of this opportunity to 
effect several changes that experience clearly pointed out as being necessary ; not 
the least important being the doing away entirely with wooden stages, and the con- 
struction of water tanks in each shed. 
37. In the show-house the tank was made large enough to admit a small piece 
of rock-work, and fountain in the centre, which is a decided improvement. 
The upper plant-shed on the way to the Falls, has also been renewed, and the 
interior entirely re-arranged. All the plants in this shed are now planted out, and 
require far less attention than when grown in pots. 
A large proportion are local plants, and it is intended eventually to fill this 
entirely with Malayan plants, of which there are numbers ah ornamental as they are 
botanically interesting. 
38. The ravine adjoining this shed has been cleared, and a small portion 
planted, but the bulk of the’ work remains to be done this year. 
39. Three dams, to supply water to the plant-sheds and Nursery, have been 
built across small tributary streams flowing into the main one ; and are both useful 
and ornamental. One of these has been constructed specially with a view to grow- 
ing the Victoria Lily, for which there is not sufficient depth of water in the Lily Pond. 
