7 
Vote, ... .... ...$2,360 
Expenditure : — 
Mandore’s Salary, ... 180 00 
Coolies, ... ... 1,896 66 
Re-making Tennis Lawn,.., 63 90 
Materials and Tools, ... 147 75 
Manure, ... ... 60 n 
Miscellaneous, ... 3 20 
fa, 35 1 62 
Balance, ... ... 8 38 
$2,360 00 
Revenue : — 
Sale of grass, ... $ 50 00 
H. N. RIDLEY, 
Director. 
Botanic Gardens Department, Penang. 
The only change of Officers during the year was the promotion of Mr. D’SlLVA, 
Inspector of Coco-nut Trees, to the post of Forest Ranger in the Dindings. Mr. K, 
BALHETCHET succeeded Mr. d’SiLVA in the month of August. 
Waterfall Garden. 
2. The most important work of the year has been the erection of a new iron plant- 
shed, 84 feet long by 60 feet broad and 16 feet 6 inches high in the centre, on the site 
of the old No. 2 shed. A portion of the material for this work was purchased in 1895, as 
mentioned in my Report for that year, and the remainder has been paid in 1896; the, 
work of erection being done entirely by the Garden Carpenter and Coolies. The 
supports are steel rails set in 3 feet of concrete, and the roof of bent angle iron in 2 
spans of 30 -feet each, covered with bertam chicks. The interior is entirely of rock- 
work planted up largely with local plants, tree ferns being an important feature. 
Much interest is shown in this shed, and the question as to the cost often asked by 
residents in the Colony with a view to copying it on a smaller scale. Altogether the 
material cost $910, and I calculate that, to erect a similar shed and construct the rock- 
work, in or near town, the cost would be almost equal to that of the material. All 
the stone required here was obtained in the Garden, and cartage cost very little. This 
attraction and permanent addition to the Garden has been made without any increase 
to the grant for maintenance, but necessarily some other works have had to remain 
in abeyance. 
3. The fernery, which was in a bad state of repair, having originally been con- 
structed of material that was used for the Agricultural Show, had to be temporarily 
renewed, partly with wood, as funds would not admit of it being done in iron this year. 
In doing this, however, we used old, but substantial iron water pipes for the supports 
and set them firmly in concrete so that on the next occasion light iron can easily 
be substituted for the present wood-work without interfering with the beds, and with- 
out involving much labour or expense. 
4. Minor repairs were done to the other plant-sheds, and this must continue to 
be an annually recurrent item of expenditure, involving a good deal of labour and 
damage to plants so long as wood structures are used in this climate. 
5. In the palm shed, the front stage, 129 feet long, has been built of rough stone- 
work in lieu of the old wooden one, and this about terminates the use of wood stages 
for pot plants in this Garden. 
6. The longest bridge across the main stream at the top of the grounds, 48 feet 
long, built in 1888, is in need of renewal. Some new timbers have been put in so as 
to keep it open to traffic for another year, if possible, but it is important that provision 
be made for this work in the Estimates for 1898, as it is a matter that cannot be done 
out of the ordinary maintenance vote. I hope that, as in the case of the two smaller 
bridges, already done, lower down the stream, it will be re-constructed of iron this 
time. 
