Government House Domain. 
The Mandore James left in the early part of the year, and Aniff, Mandore of the - 
Botanic Gardens, took his place till a man named SAMUEL was employed. The Java- 
nese coolies behaved very ill in the first part of the year, and finally ran away. Jwo 
were summoned and fined, the others could not be found. After this, Klings were 
employed for grass-cutting, and Javanese for pots and house work. A lawn in front 
of the house was re-made entirely, being raised and re-turfed. Some beds for Vandas 
and Renantheras were made, and the whole of the East side and part of the West 
side of the park was fenced in. 
Vote; 
Expenditure : — 
•- * 
.. $2,360.00 
Salaries, 
$2, 005.19 
i ■ 
Tools, 
182.85 
Attaps, Rollers, "etc., 
32.63 
Planks, etc., 
24.62 
Manure, 
4748 
Flower-pots, 
25.82 
Tubs, ... 
24.00 
. 
Balance, 
■ i 74 i 
m 
Total* 
$2,360.00 
H. N. RIDLEY, 
. 
Director. 
Singapore , 25th January, 1898. 
Botanic Gardens Department, Penang, 1897. 
Visitors to the Waterfall Garden have been more numerous than in any previous 
year, particularly those with an especial interest in matters 'horticultural and botani- 
cal. Among the number was His Majesty the King of Siam, who was very pleased 
with the Garden, and selected a number of plants for cultivation in Bangkok. The 
Director and Curator of the Buitenzorg Gardens, the Superintendent t>f the Hongkong 
Gardens, and the Curator of the Calcutta Gardens were also among the strangers 
that visited us, and made selections of plants, 
Personal visits and letters from gentlemen inte rested! n planting matters, request- 
ing information, mainly respecting rubbers .and ramie, have been numerous, and much 
time has been taken up with purchasers of plants. ^ # 
2.. An interesting addition to the Garden is a glass case at the West end of the 
Fernery, with soft granite boulders inside, on which are planted a collection of filmy 
ferns { Trichomanes and Hymenophyllum). During the Jubilee holidays, which I spent 
on the Perak hills, several species which do not occur in Penang were collected and 
brought back in good condition, and, although coming from an altitude of 3,000-4,000 
feet, they are all, with the exception of Trichomanes maxima , making satisfactory 
growth. Among the rocks on which these are growing are planted Bertoloniasz 
S'onerilas , and other small-growing Melastomaceee , which can only be grown to per- 
fection in the moist atmosphere of a glass case. 
3. The octagonal plant-shed, in which there is a good collection of specimen 
foliage plants in pots and tubs, has been re-covered with nihong laths instead of chicks ; 
and the potting-shed, which was in a bad state of repairs has been roofed with corru- 
gated iron. Minor repairs were also done to the wood-work and coverings of the other 
plant-sheds. 
4. One thousand and eight lineal feet of carriage road have been re-metalled 
with stones obtained in the course of cutting down a bank to raise the ground in the 
pot-plant nursery. 
5. Considerable improvements in the grounds have been effected by continuing 
the sloping and turfing the banks of the stream near the entrance gate, and also just 
below the second bridge. Eight new beds have also been formed, and planted with 
cannas, roses, and flowering shrubs ; and a number of large palms and other things 
that had outgrown the space available in the plant-sheds have been planted in various 
parts of the Garden. 
