4 
plants has been formed upon what was an unsightly bank. Aloes,- Agaves, Sansevierias, 
Cacti, Bromeliads, ornamental Pandani grow very well here, and some plants which 
for some time had maintained a somewhat miserable existence in pots, here have 
grown so rapidly as to require to be well cut back. , . 
In the upper edges of the lake, Nipa palms, Cassia alata and ran am 
have been planted, which will have a fine effect when more developed. On tie wes 
side, a bare dry bank was planted with Nepenthes, ferns, and Lycopodiums, some 
of the ferns and Lycopods perished, but the Nepenthes is doing very well. 
A cutting of the Victoria regia, was transferred to the big lake and planted in 
a small bay beneath the large fig trees. It is now as large as the parent an is 
constantly in flower. 
Palms. ‘ 
8. The coco-nut beetles did much damage to the palms near the garden office, 
in spite of the most strenuous efforts to combat their attacks. It was found that 
the tank which had been used for a receptacle for garden rubbish to be converte 
info manure, was full of the grubs of the black beetle. It was, therefore, emptied, the 
grubs destroyed, the manure used in the various beds and the sticks, &c. which could 
not be thus used burnt. This caused a great diminution of the plague, and although 
the vermin are not quite exterminate^ from the Gardens, I hope that very soon they 
will be extinct. „ , 
The dead palms have been replaced by new ones. The Palmetum near Garden 
Road has never been attacked, but besides the palms by the*office those near the 
band-stand have been much injured. . 
The plan of keeping piles of cut-grass, leaves and sticks in various spots in the 
Gardens has proved so objectionable, that a spot has been prepared in an old gravel 
pit in the garden jungle where this rubbish is burnt, and the ashes used for fertilizing 
the ground. A large pile by the old night soil pit near the lake has thus been des- 
troyed, and the night soil tank removed to the garden jungle. 
A number of trees were planted out in various spots in the lawns which looked 
bare, and several places where the grass had got thin were re-turfed. 
Cut -flowers. 
g. A portion of the waste grounds behind the Director’s house was cleared 
and planted with Gardenia, Eucharis, &c., to serve as a supply of cut-flowers, for 
which there is always a great demand, fndeed so much is this the case that some- 
times the garden seems to be almost denuded of flowers. This will have to be 
prevented as much as possible by growing plants on purpose for cutting. 
The whole system of the supply of cut-flowers has been carefully looked into, 
and a tariff of charges has been drawn up and advertised, and to obviate the difficulty 
sometimes incurred in collecting small sums for bouquets, &c., the system of casff 
payments has been introduced. 
Flower Show . 
10. The exhibition of flowers, fruits and vegetables was held on April I2th 
and 13th. As the weather was fine and bright, there was on the whole a good 
attendance, especially in the evening of the second day when the Band of the Regi- 
ment performed. In spite, however, of the fact that there was a larger sale of tickets 
than at the previous show (in 1888), the expenditure incurred was larger than the 
receipts from visitors and the usual $250 contributed by the Gardens Committee, 
there being a deficit of $88.11. This was due to increase in expenditure in prizes, 
advertising and covering and lighting the orchid-house, then used as a refreshment 
room. There was a marked falling off in the three 'great classes of ferns, Begonias 
and Crotons ; and indeed the cultivation by Europeans seems to have retrograded on 
the whole. Perhaps this is due in part to there being no show last year, and to the 
uncertainty as to whether the shows 'were ever to be held again, which deterred 
many from cultivation. 
Garden Offences . 
11. There were only two prosecutions for garden offences during the year-one, 
a Malay for steali ng flowers in the Gardens (imprisonment for ten days), the other two 
Chinamen for cutting wood in the garden jungle (fined $15 a-piece). 
Still I regret to say that this does not at all represent the number ol offences 
committed, a great deal of pilfering of flowers continues, especially at or about native 
