r* 
D 
Publications. 
c2 - The printing of the \ olumes on Monocotyledons for the Materials for “A Flora of 
the Alalay Peninsula was commenced, and is expected to appear in a month or two. They 
aie divided into two volumes, which are being printed simultaneously. The first volume 
contains the Hydrocharidese and Orchideae, the second the rest of the orders. Papers on 
the Begonias and on the Scitamineae and the Grasses and Sedges of Borneo and a complete 
account of tiie expedition to Christmas Islands and the Flora thereof were published in the 
Journal of the Straits Branch of 1 he lvpyal Asiatic Society by the Director, and also an 
article on the Scitamineae of the Philippines, published in a Manila Journal. All the types of 
the species described are conserved in the Botanic Gardens, Herbarium. 
i he “Agricultural Bulletin was published as regularly as could be done by the printers, 
and there was no falling off in the demand for it. Mr. J. B. Carkuthkks became assistant 
Editor in the beginning of the year. Most of the articles dealt with Rubber cultivation and 
manufacture, but fibres, oil-grasses and other subjects were treated of. The article on 
Malayan drugs, printed many years ago in the “ Straits Medical Journal ” by the Director, and 
l° n g unprocurable, was reprinted and very much augmented. Investigations were also made 
into the action oJ copper sulphate on water weeds, and especially on the laterite- forming 
Bacterium Crenothrix, and an account published in the Bulletin. 
I he Artist continued making drawings of important plants, and towards the end of the 
yeai , in the rainy season, made a large series of drawing of the soft Fungi, of which little or 
nothing is at present known, and which are almost impossible to preserve even in alcohol 
in this country, so that coloured drawings are the only way of recording and identifying 
them satisfactorily. Of a few drawings sent previously to Kew of these plants all proved to 
be unknown previously to science. A few more supplementary lecture diagrams were also 
made by the Artist. The lectures to the Medical Students were delivered by the Director 
from September to December twice a week, as on the previous occasion. 
Agri-Horticultural Show. 
I 3- — 1 he Annual Exhibition was held this year at Singapore, and was probably the 
largest Exhibition of the kind ever held in the East. The exhibits from all parts of the 
Peninsula were remarkably good on the whole, and the Exhibition was attended by very 
large crowds of visitors and some delegates from Java, India, Ceylon, Burmah and other 
places. 1 he secretarial work of the Exhibition, which was very heavy, was effected by the 
Director and Mr, J. S. Isaac, Clerk of the Botanic Gardens Department. / 
Economic Garden. 
14. — 1 his part of the Gardens has steadily increased in usefulness and importance, not 
only to the local community, but to all the tropical parts of the Empire, and indeedit would 
be difficult to over-estimate its utility. All tropical plants are experimented with and stocks 
of all for which there is or is likely to be an exceptional demand are maintained in consi- 
derable quantities. It may give some idea of the work carried out if it is mentioned that 
during the year plants or seeds have been despatched on sale to countries as remote as the 
West Indies, including Cuba, Samoa, Honolulu, Queensland, New South Wales, W 7 est 
Australia, hiji Islands, Philippines, New Guinea, China, Hongkong, Borneo, Sumatra, java, 
India, Ceylon, Egypt, Lagos, Nigeria, and Madeira, while the locai demand from the Colony 
and Federated Malay States has increased enormously. 
Apart from the ordinary interchange between gardens, so greatly has the work increased 
that the addition of five men has been sanctioned for the new year. At the present time 
the labour employed is quite inadequate for the due maintenance of the garden, nor is it 
possible, even at a time when agriculture is developing in the Peninsula at such a rate, to 
carry out experiments which are urgently required. A request for an additional assistant 
so as to put the Gardens of the Straits Settlements on the level in staff of some, at least, of 
the smaller Gardens of the other Colonies was inserted in the Estimates for the next year, 
but circumstances prevented this addition to the staff being made. 
The keen demand for Para rubber seed from the Garden trees necessitated the frequent 
mowing and cleaning of the ground and drains so as to procure every possible seed, and as 
this part of the Garden is hardly above, sea-level and the ground frequently flooded the 
growth of the weeds is very rapid. Watchmen have had to be employed too to prevent the 
seeds and plants in the nurseries from raiders. The largest undertaking in this Garden, apart 
trom the routine and urgent work, during the year consisted in digging the young Rubber 
ground formerly under grass three times over so as to thoroughly eradicate the grass and 
weeds. The plot is joo yards long and 120 yards wide, and when it had been thoroughly 
cleaned and was sufficiently dry it w r as planted up in blocks with Tapioca, Ground-nuts, 
Ramie, Lemon Grass, Citronella and Cus-Cus. Hitherto it had been impossible to grow the 
rubber trees here on account of a plague of brown slugs which, concealed by day in the 
