EXTENSION WORK 
XXVI. TRAINEES 
77. The Gardens offer facilities for training a limited number of persons 
as Gardeners. During the year trainees were accepted from the Public Works 
Department—4, The Rehabilitation Section of the Labour Department— 4, 
and one from the Shell Oil Coy, Seria, Borneo. They came to the Gardens 
for 4-6 months. 
XXVII. SALES 
78. A total of 25,611 plants, bulbs and cuttings were sold to the public, 
4,852 were orchid plants and 385 succulents. This is a smaller total than in 
the three previous years but because of the increasing demand for and sale of 
orchid plants commanding much higher prices than other plants, the revenue 
from plant sales was the greatest yet recorded. The sales for the past five $ears 
are summarised in the table below:— 
Year 
Sales 
Total 
Garden Plants 
Orchids 
Succulents 
No. 
$ 
No. 
$ 
No. 
$ 
No. 
$ 
1953 .. 
12,330 
6,456 
2,787 
11,072 
15,117 
17,528 
1954 .. 
24,057 
7,496 
2,740 
11,920 
m m 
a . 
26,797 
19,416 
1955 .. 
24,224 
5,302 
2,730 
16,005 
874 
880 
27,828 
22,187 
1956 .. 
25,666 
4,008 
3,446 
22,759 
426 
478 
29,538 
27,245 
1957 .. 
20,374 
3,795 
4,852 
28,209 
385 
284 
25,611 
32,288 
It is clear from the trend shown in this table how quickly the popularity of 
orchids is increasing. During the year a large number of unflowered orchid 
seedlings were released for sale, and the orchid enclosure in the Gardens 
witnessed scenes reminiscent of the bargain clearance sales of the big emporia 
in the town, but acted by a predominately male cast. Here-to-fore orchid sales 
had been conducted from 3—4 p.m. on Mondays to Fridays, but the progressive 
increase in time taken by a technical officer of the Department in attending to 
this matter called for some urgent rearrangement. Many of the persons coming 
ostensibly to buy orchid plants or cuttings took the opportunity of wandering 
around looking at the flowers, wasting the officer’s time. Some took the oppor¬ 
tunity of filching near ripe hand-pollinated seedpods and a number of pods 
were lost in this manner. 3-4 p.m. became stretched to 2-5 p.m. Therefore 
from September sales in the enclosures ceased. Planting material as it becomes 
available is now taken to the potting shed for sale from 8 a.m-2 p.m. on 
Mondays and is sold along with other planting material. 
79. The Gardens continued to supply planting material free of charge 
to Singapore Government Departments, charitable institutions, the University 
of Malaya and the Services. The P.W.D. took the biggest requisition for plant¬ 
ing in new school compounds and at official quarters. Over 8,000 plants and 
cuttings were supplied to these different organisations. 
80. The sale of Gardens’ Bulletins, Reports, Gardens Guide Book and 
Malayan Garden Plants series totalled $404.80. 
