2 
The attempt to grow teak here on a large scale can only be described as a com- 
plete failure. The trees require the best soil that we possess, and there are but few 
spots in the Colony where it will grow at all. 
Mahogany does a little better, and in some forests may be planted with advantage, 
but its cultivation here cannot be considered very successful. The bilion trees intro- 
duced from Borneo all perished, but I hope to be able soon to give this valuable 
timber tree another trial. 
Military Reserv . . 
6. The young trees of seraya and other native timber trees planted out here in 
1884-1885 had some difficulty in coping with the strong lalang grass and other 
worthless plants. The under-growth was, how r ever, cleared away, and this improved 
matters considerably. The reserve, however, is by a natural reproduction becoming 
stocked with tembusu (Fagrcea peregrina) a very hard and durable timber much 
valued in Burma. The trees here are somewhat straggly in growth, but by planting 
them closely together this may be remedied. 
Fires . 
7. Three fires occurred during the year, two of which were serious, large tracts of 
forest on the North-East side of Bukit Timah and in the Jurong reserve being des- 
troyed. A smaller fire occurred at Bukit Mandi passing over into the Sembawang 
reserve. Although every effort was made to discover the cause of these fires, the 
origin was never traced. 
Prosecutions. 
8. Ten cases of prosecutions were instituted during the year, for timber-cutting 
and encroachments. Of these, two cases were withdrawn, and the remainder convicted. 
The fines inflicted amounted to $410, of which $310 were paid. 
Rules for Forest Watchmen . 
9. A code of rules for Forest Watchmen was drawn up and printed in English and 
Malay, and copies were sent to all the stations. 
Extirpation of Lalang. 
10. A very large proportion of the forest reserves is at present covered with lalang 
grass ( I mperata cylindrica Cyr) which is not only useless, but very injurious, 
both by reason of its inflammability, and also on account of its preventing any cul- 
tivation of the land covered by it, except with a great deal of labour and expense. 
The subject, therefore, of the growth of lalang and its extermination is one of 
paramount importance. 
Wherever the land is burnt, or having been under cultivation is suffered to run 
to waste, it is soon covered with lalang, whatever may have been the previous vege- 
tation. In comparatively rare cases, e.g portion of the land burnt last year on the 
North-East side of Bukit Timah, the ground is covered with bracken (Pteris 
aquilina) or Gleichenia linearis. This, 1 believe, to be due to the more sandy 
nature of the ground at this spot. It is noticeable that lalang will not grow on 
sandy or wet soil or under shade. 
In a few spots, the lalang grounds might be flooded for a time, and the plant thus 
destroyed, but owing to the configuration of the island this can rarely be done. 
The treatment of the soil by chemicals such as salt, sulphate of iron, &e., apart 
from the heavy expense connected with it, is liable to have a very injurious effect on 
the plants with which the ground is afterwards afforested even for many years. 
The introduction of some more actively growing plant to combat and destroy the 
lalang has been proposed, and the well-known lantana (L. mixta) was suggested 
for this purpose. In every way this would be a most undesirable proceeding. To 
substitute for one noxious weed which, by its strength of constitution and vitality, is 
most injurious to cultivation, a plant yet stronger is merely to go from bad to worse, 
and as far as lantana is concerned the question has long been settled. In many 
places the lantana may be seen holding a precarious tenure in the midst of a lalang 
field and quite unable to compete with it. 
