5 
Summary. 
Considering that the Staff was this year reduced by the Director’s absence for 
over eight months to Mr. Fox assisted bv the Clerk Mr. J. S. Isaac the amount 
of work executed was very great. The Gardens were kept in good order and many 
improvements made, the export of seeds and plants and correspondence exceptionally 
large, and a considerable amount of experimental research carried on, and the 
“ Agricultural Bulletin” published monthly, all this work could not have been effected 
but by great energy and industry on the part of the Assistant and of the Clerk. 
H. N. RIDLEY, 
Director of Gardens ) Straits Settlements , 
» 
Annual Report on the Botanic Gardens, Penang, 1907. 
Staff. 
1. The Gardens were in charge of the Collector of Land Revenue with the 
assistance of Mohamed Haniff, Garden Overseer, up to March 26th, when Mr. Fox 
(Superintendent) returned from leave. Mr. Fox only remained up to April 23rd, 
when he proceeded to Singapore to act for the Director of Gardens, and was replaced 
on the following day by the writer, Assistant Superintendent, Botanic Gardens, 
Singapore, who remained in charge of the Gardens for the remainder of the year. 
Mohamed Haniff was on leave for three months from the 17th June, this being 
his first leave after 18 years’ service. 
The check roll shows much broken time, due to Fever and acute Diarrhoea, but 
equally or possibly more ; to slight feverish symptoms which disincline a cooly to turn 
out without the incentive of mustering on the spot, and this is unavoidable as the lines 
have been placed one mile distant from the Gardens with the object of obtaining good 
sanitation. 
The Year’s Work. 
2. Despite these changes a large programme of work has been carried out, an 
important item of which was the increased maintenance and renewal of stock conse- 
quent on large sales of palms and general decorative plants. This will be better 
understood if I say that the revenue collected by sales amounted to $1,111.24, which 
constitutes a record in the revenue return of these gardens. The highest returns 
previously recorded were $974 in 1897, and $1,014 i n 1894. 
3. Inadequate accommodation has always been the drawback to the maintenance 
and renewal of stock but On the representation of Mr. FOX an acre of land has been 
purchased at the Garden entrance and this difficulty will disappear. It will now 
be possible to maintain small lots of fruit trees and other useful economic plants. In 
this direction the most notable additions include Palaquium oblong if olium, or getah 
taban, raised from seeds obtained within the Garden, and although only three trees fruited 
the crop was exceptionally heavy; and although 3,670 seeds sold to the Conservator of 
Forests, and 500 seeds to the Government of Mauritius, a batch of 1,550 seedlings 
was reserved for the Gardens. Hevea braziliensis practically failed as a seed-crop, 4,700 
seeds were sold and 250 seedlings raised. Other additions include 200 nutmegs, 300 dur- 
ians, and a few mangosteens. Oi other economics of which specimens only were received 
the following may be cited : — West Indian Bread-nut (, Artocarpus nucifera\ Australian 
fodder grass ( Paspalum dilatatum ), ten species oi Bow string Hemp, Sanseviera 
(species), Bornean Lemon (Citrus sp), Eugenia uniflora , Eugenia braziliensis , Anona 
reticulata , Psidium guava (Trinidad), and some good varieties of bananas and 
pineapples. 
Free Issues. 
4. Trees and shrubs were supplied free to the Supreme Court grounds, District 
Hospital, Government Quarters, and Residency; the latter also received a miscellaneous 
selection of pot plants. A small lot of seeds was given to the Pulau Tikus College. 
