16 
planted on the bandstand, the second at the end of the nursery and on the 
lawn behind the Director’s quarters. All were growing vigorously by the 
end of the year with every prospect of success so that they should supply 
several horticultural novelties to Malaya. The time will come, moreover, 
when it will be necessary to revise the study of the wild bamboos of Malaya 
so that a big collection of such plants in the Botanic Gardens will be a 
great help to the research-student. At present, the Gardens has more 
claim to precedence over similar tropical institutions in its collection of 
palms but there is no reason why the bamboos, aroids, gingers, Cannas and 
Ixoras should not be added to its vantage. 
The meteorological compound was transferred from the lawn near the 
bandstand to that by the office so that a new lawn was opened for 
development in 1938. 
Potting Yard .—Several adjustments were made in the arrangement of 
the Potting Yard. Where the big oak-tree had fallen down in 1935, the 
ground was levelled and on this new area the “trees for sale” were collected. 
Beside this area a new aftap shelter was made to serve as a wood-shed 
where the labourers could work on rainy days by sawing wood for such 
various purposes as baskets, stands for climbers and so on. The water¬ 
piping between the Yard and the Plant-Houses was renewed over its entire 
length of some 300 feet. 
Propagation .—Experiments were conducted with the synthetic prepara¬ 
tion Hortomone A, which has the virtue of stimulating root-growth and, 
thus, the establishment of cuttings. The solution was made at a strength 
of a half fluid oz. to one gallon of water. Cuttings were steeped in the 
solution for 14-18 hours and then planted as usual. Several plants, which 
had been difficult to propagate by cuttings, were induced to root readily 
by this means and, with others, the root-growth was so much accelerated 
that the cuttings were established in a week or two instead of requiring 
three or four times as long. 
Plant-Houses. —A successful new feature was added to the large Plant- 
House in the form of a frame for succulent-plants, namely Cactus, Aires, 
Kalanchce, Mesembryanthemum, etc. These plants, which are accustomed 
to the ‘dry climate of rocky and desert regions, do not thrive in the humid, 
dripping conditions of Singapore or in the hard, ill-drained soil which 
composes so much of the Gardens. The new frame was therefore designed 
to simulate the natural environment of “succulents”. A glass-roof was 
built over one of the plant-stands and in place of the stand was substituted 
a miniature desert with granite and coral-rock resting on a foundation of 
brick-rubble and consolidated by coarse sand and granite-chippings. A 
well-drained sunny situation with a loose, dry soil was thus obtained. The 
numerous succulents,, planted in the frame, began to make fresh growth 
as soon as they were transferred and, apparently, out of nothing but 
enjoyment of the dryness. 
Bandstand Terraces.—A low brick-wall, 80 feet long by 2% feet high, 
was thrown across the terrace leading to the former site of the rain-gauge so 
as to divide the terrace into two lawns. The wall was made of Chinese bricks 
to match the pergola at one end of the terrace and a herbaceous border was 
made along the uppermost side of the wall. At the other end of the terrace 
a large bed was made for flowering shrubs, and, in front of this, the beds of 
Gerbera were re-arranged. 
Useful Ornamental Plants .—The following three plants must be 
mentioned because of their success in the flower-garden : — 
