9 
Botanic Gardens, Penang. 
Staff. 
i. — Mr. Fox went on leave on March 23rd, and there being no Officer of the Depart- 
ment available to take his place, I was placed in temporary charge in addition to my ot er 
duties. 
This arrangement continued during the remainder of the year, but it could hardly be 
considered satisfactory. 
The Overseer, Mahomed Haniff, looked after the technical work and did it extremely 
well ; the Gardens were kept by him in excellent order, but m the absence of a properly 
qualified European, scientific research made little or no progress. 
In addition to this the Clerk was transferred and a new man with no experience of the 
work took his place. 
The Inspector under the Coconut Trees Preservation Ordinance and the Mandor on 
the Hill died during the year. 
Buildings and Upkeep. 
2.— The office ceiling partially collapsed and it was found necessary to make immediate 
repairs. So much damage had been done in the past to the wood flooring by white ants 
that it was decided to put in a cement flooring. A special vote of $1,500 was granted y 
Government and this work was carried out. The roof of the building was raised and 
the whole structure generally improved. „ 
In the plant houses the atap roofing was replaced by ruberoid, which has proved quite 
satisfactory and is more lasting. 
In several of the houses the tables were cemented as a means of keeping away the 
white ants. 
The roads were kept in good repair and the general condition of the grounds and 
buildings reflects great credit on the Overseer in charge. 
The new rockery near the stream below the wooden rustic bridge was practically 
completed. A large number of ferns have been placed there, and a large specimen of the 
Impatiens Mirabilis or Gouty Balsam obtained from the Langkawi Islands added. 
This rockery forms a very pleasant addition to the Gardens. 
Plants. 
3 —No new variety of plant was added to the Gardens during the year. The Overseer, 
however, performed several grafting experiments. 
The grafting of the. well known “La France” rose on the common local variety proved 
a success, a fine rose with a most delicate odour being obtained. Some interesting results 
were also obtained by grafting the violet Allamanda on the yellow variety. 
A visit was paid to the Langkawi Islands in August, when a number of orchids and 
another specimen of the Impatiens Mirabilis were obtained. 
A number of plants were supplied to the Government Plantations, Perak, and some 
promised in return from the Taiping Hills. 
Plant sales, exclusive of $74.25 received for rubber seeds, realised $319.25 as against 
$566.80 in 1905. This falling off was mainly due to the fact that certain restrictions were 
placed on the sales owing to there being no European in regular attendance at the Gardens. 
Publications. 
4. — The usual periodicals were received during the year, and an interesting work 
presented by Messrs. Veitch and Sons containing a good deal of useful information especially 
with regard to varieties of Orchids. 
Para Rubber. 
3. The old Para Rubber tree at the Gardens was tapped in November and December 
and 4 lb. 4^- oz. of dry rubber obtained; this makes a total of 35 lb. 13^ oz. from the 
tree since it was first tapped. The tree reached the height of its production in 1905 when 
4 lb. 124 oz. cf rubber were obtained. The upper branches are beginning to wither and 
there is little doubt that it will now deteriorate. Although the Experimental Garden on 
Penang Hill has been abandoned and is now partially covered with secondary growth, 
experiments were made on four of the Para Rubber trees standing there. As the altitude 
is about 2,000 feet the results were interesting. The age of the trees was about 12 years and 
the total dried rubber obtained 6 lb. 6 oz. Appendix A. gives the results of the various tappings. 
V* 
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