8 
rise, supposing this scheme is carried out, shows that there will be nothing left worth 
preserving as a Government garden, and that an entirely new site will have to be 
selected if Penang is to have a garden of any interest. Under this circumstance of 
uncertainty no extension has been made during the year, not have certain much 
needed improvements of permanent nature, such ‘as increased Office and herbarium 
accommodation and Quarters for employes within a reasonable distance of their work, 
been put before Government as was intended in preparing the Ksti mates for 1903; 
as it would be wasting money if the garden is to be abolished within a year or two. 
it is most important that this question should be settled as soon as possible so that 
works of improvement may be carried on with a certainty that the labour and 
money is not being spent in vain. 
2. I his garden, as is often remarked both by resident and visitors, is the one 
show place in Penang, and in addition to this much work of a more utilitarian nature 
is done here in connection with Forestry, Economic Botany, &c. A large proportion 
of the trees are now too large to be removed and every year the difficulty and also 
the expense of removing is enhanced, so that I cannot too strongly urge the necessity 
of a decision being arrived at as soon as possible as to whether this is the only 
possible site for an adequate water supply ; and if so that steps should be at once 
taken to provide for another suitable site* for a garden. 
3 - 1 be main attraction to the majority of visitors are the plant sheds, especially 
the Orchid shed, which generally contain a number of interesting plants in flower. In 
tin's respect there has been no falling off during the past year, and there is at the pre- 
;?>ent time (January 8th) a bank of Calanthes and other Orchids in flower that is most 
attractive. The. attention of plant lovers has been called to this easily grown and 
attractive genus in an article to be published in the Agricultural Bulletin, with hints as 
to their culture, so that there is no necessity to dilate on the subject here further 
than to say that since the beginning of September there has been a continuous show 
of those plants in flower which will continue for at least another month or six weeks. 
H abenarza carnea is another Orchid that served to keep the house gay during the 
months of July and August, there being at one time about 100 plants in flower, and 
the individual flowers last from a month to six weeks. Some of the Cattleyas, On- 
•cidiums, and other S. American Orchids do fairly well and are greatly admired, but 
for the greater number of species of these genera the temperature is too high 
to grow them to perfection. 
4. Beds, borders, and shrubberies were maintained in a satisfactory manner, 
jnd many plants and trees were more than usually floriferous when the rain came 
after the prolonged drought. The Lagerstroemia and Cassia trees were exceedingly 
show r y as were also many flowering shrubs. ( annas are grown in large numbers and 
some three dozen new Varieties were received from Messrs. Dammann & Co., Naples, 
1 his is one of the best flowering plants to grow for the wet season, but to obtain the 
best results they require to be transplanted frequently, and manured heavily. Many 
Palms and other trees were planted out in different parts of the grounds and more 
would have been done in this line but for the uncertainty as to what is to happen to 
this garden as already mentioned. Nearly the whole of the collection of pot plants 
were gone through and repotted during the months of April and May. 
5. Numbers of new plants were contributed to the collection already in cul- 
tivation bv the Officers in charge of Botanic Gardens, Nurseries, and other establish- 
ments, with which we are in correspondence; and a good many by residents in the 
Malay States, Sumatra and Penang. A trip to Selangor in the month of May, in con- 
nection with forestry, afforded an opportunity of adding many plants that are quite 
mew, and others not previously recorded from the Peninsula. Among the former is a 
most beautiful Didymocarpus with snow' white flowers, found growing at an altitude 
of about 3,000 feet ; and among the latter, Cypripedium Lowii, which had hitherto 
been recorded only from Borneo, where it was first discovered by Sir Hugh Low, and 
in Sumatra. The mountain range on which these and many other interesting plants 
were collected divides the Native States of Selangor and Pahang, and is a region 
that from a botanical point of view will repay further exploration. 
6. 1 he principal contributors of plants and seeds are the Directors of the Royal 
Botanic Gardens Kew, and Calcutta ; Botanic Gardens Buitenzorg, Glasnevin, Gold 
Coast, and Singapore. Among others may be mentioned Messrs. F. Sander & Co., 
Messrs. Dammann & Co., S. P. Chatterjee, C. Maries, Hon. J. K, Birch, J. de Voogt, 
D. Aeria, Khoo Joo Keat, Khaw Joo Tok, A. B. Stephens, A. Lens, J. Irving, L. Haw- 
kins, D. Blaze, C. Goldham, A. Runge, Dr. Wright, Mrs. Rivis, P. Laurie, C. H. 
.Sprenger and Mr. Stiedel. 
