f ^ ^ ^ - Notes on History of Botanic aardens, 
" V Singapore, 1919-1942, 
Economic garden . . This was used for trials and demonstra- 
tions of food-crops during the war period 1913-1919# and for Mr. 
Burkinas extensive investigations' of Yams, on which he wrote many 
papers, including a monograph of the genus Dioscorea (in collahora— 
tlon with Sir David Praln). A fruit plantation was begun in 191o; 
but in 1918 the Singapore Housing Commission recommended that the 
Economic Garden site should be used for housing. After that time, 
trees and other plants of interest were moved as far as possible 
from the Economic Garden to the Botanic Garden. In 1921 the decision 
to use the site for building Raffles College was made, and little 
further work was done in the Garden after 1922. When the College 
was built, almost all the rubber plantation was cut down, including 
the one remaining original tree of Hevea braziliensis . 
Mr. Burkill*s work on Economic Plants . Mr. Burkill had 
studied tropical economic plants^' for 12 years Tn India before coning 
to Singapore. Some time before Mr. Burkill ’s retirement, it was 
arranged that he should write a dictionary of the useful plants of 
Malaya. He used the, Economic Garden for experimental cultivation, 
and also travelled much all over the Peninsula, gathering informa- 
tion, especially in the year 1924. After his retirement in 1925, 
much further information was supplied by the Gardens staff. Com- 
piling infoiroation from other publications, and writing the Dic- 
tionary, occupied the years 1925-1934; the Dictionary was published 
in 1935 . 
Mr. Ridley * 8 botanical work . Mr. Ridley engaged to write 
a Flora of the Malay Peninsula after his retirement (in 1912), but 
publication was deferred until after the war of 1914-1918. The 
Flora appeared, in 5 volumes, during the years 1922-1925. 
Mr. Corner*s botanical work . Mr. Corner, appointed Assis- 
tant Director in 1929, had already specialised in the study of the 
larger fungi, and spent the greater part of his time in the years 
1929-1935 studying Malayan fungi, of which he made extensive collec- 
tions, descriptions and illustrations. He also spent much time in 
1932-1934 and subsequently in studying the trees of fresh water swamp 
forest in Singapore and Johore, which had previously not received 
much attention from botanists. He also made extensive studies of 
the wild figs of Malaya. In 1935-36 he conducted classes for Singa- 
pore teachers in Malayan plant life, and this led to the writing of 
his book on Wayside Trees of Malaya. The prepai-atory botanical 
investigations, travelling and photographing, occupied 1936 and 1937; 
printing began in 1939. In connection with his observations on 
trees, Mr. Corner trained Berok monkeys to collect specimens, from 
1937 # by which means a large amount of new information on Malayan 
trees was obtained. 
Mr. Holttum^s botanical work . Mr. Holttum made a special 
study of Ma layan ferns , of which he made extensive herbarium collec- 
tions. He wrote papers on the various groups of climbing ferns, on 
tree ferns, and other genera, and is continuing this work. He began 
in 1927 a series of observations on the behaviour of deciduous trees 
in Singapore, sind published his observations up to 1939* 1^^ 1929 
he began experimental work on the culture of orchid seedlings and 
soon after started to raise hybrids. The first hybrid (Spathoglottis 
(pllcata X aurea) flowered in 1931; the first Vanda hybrid in 1933* 
This work is still proceeding. From 1938 Mr. Holttum began to make . 
notes on cultivated Bougainvilleas , of which no comparative account 
has ever been made. The Gardens collection of these plants is now 
very extensive, and local hybrid seedlings are being raised for 
selection. From 1933 onwards Mr. Holttm edited the horticultural 
section of the M.A.H.A. Magazine, a quarterly publication, in which 
members/ , • 
