i8 
80. Plants of Liberian coffee, and tops of the introduced varieties of sugar 
cane, have been distributed to Chinese and others who made application for them. 
81. The Cochin China vine ( Vitis marteni ) ripened two bunches of fruit. 
If this could be crossed with the common vine, it would probably produce something 
suited to the climate, but of itself is not of much merit. 
82. Considerable progress has been made in collecting and determining the trees 
and other plants within the reserved forests, &c., and it is hoped that before the 
end of another year this collection will be catalogued. 
83. The total expenditure in connection with the maintenance of Forest Re- 
serves, including up-keep of nursery, is 11,514.97, of which $1,036.96 were paid as 
salaries, and $308.72 in the construction and repairing of station. 
, General. 
84. Two short excursions for the purpose of collecting living plants and herba- 
rium specimens, were made during the year, and in each case many plants not 
previously represented either in the Singapore or Penang Gardens were obtained, 
some being quite new. 
85. On the first occasion, I was absent from’ Penang ten days, and collected 
principally on the hill ranges in Perak, at altitudes varying from 2,000 to 6,000 feet. 
Among the interesting plants obtained for cultivation were four species of Didy- 
mocarpus, two of Rhododendrons, a fine Medinilla, numbers of Phaius grandifolius, 
Calanthes, and a curious aroid, which I believe to be the same collected by me some 
years ago in Borneo, and described at the time as a new genus under the name of 
Podolasia stipitata. 
Numerous orchids and other plants of which the flowers wftre not seen were 
collected, some of which have since flowered in the Hill Garden, and specimens 
preserved for future reference. 
86. The second excursion occupied only five days, as the Government steam launch 
m which the trip was made could not be spared for a longer time. This trip was to 
the Langkawi Islands situated from sixty to one hundred miles to the north of Penan 
There are but few inhabitants, and dense jungle extends from the water edge to 
the tops of the highest hills, which are on the larger islands over 1,000 feet in height. 
lime did not admit of any attempt being made to reach these hills, but judcnng 
from their appearance, the geological formation is not the same as the smaller islands 
on which most of the plants brought back were obtained. 
Short reports on these two collecting tours ‘were submitted to Government 
immediately on fny return, and it is therefore unnecessary to say more than that this 
collection bears out the opinion ventured in my last Annual Report, that the flora of 
the Langkawi Islands is nearer allied to that of Burma than that of Malaya. 
87. A complete set of all dried plants obtained during these excursions, and 
collected in Penang during the year, have been mounted and forwarded to the Direct- 
or, Singapore. Surplus specimens are either sent to the Director, or other Botanists 
after consultation with him. 
The greater number this year have been sent to Dr. King, who is at present 
engaged on the FJora of this region. The whole of the Penang herbarium is also 
being sent to Dr. King, a few orders at a time, on loan. 
Altogether, more than 1,000 herbarium specimens have been distributed during 
the year, and about 500 added to the Penang collection. 
Named surplus specimens, from the collections made by the two deceased Botan- 
ists ScGRTECI-IINi and KUNSTLER, and by Mr. W.RAY of the Perak Museum, have been 
presented to the Gardens by Dr. King, who is working out these collections. 
88. The usual system of exchanging plants and seeds has been kept up during 
the year, about 1,300 plants and 93 packets of seeds being received ; and 3,126 plants 
and 25 packets of seeds distributed. 
The disproportion between the numbers received and distributed is accounted 
for partly by the fact that some five hundred plants were obtained during my visit to 
India in 1888 for which it was impossible to make any acknowledgment in kind in 
that year, and partly by the despatch of a greater number than usual of local' plants 
to Singapore. 
