4 
All the herbarium specimens of the order Urticaceae were loaned to the 
Superintendent of the Royal Botanic' Gardens, Calcutta, for working up in 
the Materials for a Flora of the Malay Peninsula. The specimens of the 
genus Canavalia were loaned to Kew. 
Mounting paper being still at a very high price, mounting was in general 
deferred, but cannot be deferred longer as the accumulation of unmounted 
material is becoming unworkable. 
For the gift of books the Department is endebted to His Highness the 
Prince Bonaparte (his Notes Pteridologiques, fasc. VIII), Professor Oakes 
Ames (his Studies in the family Orchidaceae, Vol. VI), Dr. A. O. Farwell 
(several tracts on pharmacology, etc.), the Trustees of the British Museum 
(Mr. Fawcett’s and Dr. Rendle’s Flora of Jamaica, Vol. IV), the Forest 
Department (valuable manuscript on Malayan economic plants), the Editor 
of the Gardens* Bulletin (his numerous exchanges), and generous departments 
such as the Agricultural Department of the United States, the Botanic Gardens, 
Buitenzorg, etc. 
Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 
Every resident knows how motor traffic has increased in Singapore; and 
the wear and tear upon the Gardens’ roads has greatly increased with it. In 
the report of 1912 it was remarked that a few cars then entered the Gardens 
at night; but now, band-nights excluded, from a count the average number 
is found to be 24 with a maximum of 107. On a band-night there may be 
nearly five hundred cars parked on and near the Band-stand, until there is no 
room for more. No count of the numbers of cars which travel over the 
Gardens’ roads by day has been possible. 
The Liane road was re-metalled; but not the other roads which were 
down for repair. There was difficulty in procuring laterite. 
The Wormias were cut back at the head of the lake. Further planting 
was done in the Area Z. 
Of changes altering the appearance of the Gardens there were none in 
1920, except that one of the beautiful trees of Casnarina sumatrana, near the 
main gate, died; and an Agathis by the old office and four other trees were 
blown down on July 8th. The old tree of Canarium commune , which is older 
than the Gardens and stands near the Plant House, began to 1 exhibit signs 
of disease. The patch of the Gardens* Jungle attacked by Rosellima echinata 
showed signs of recovery in the centre; but the fungus is still on the periphery. 
A d’tch was dug and heavily limed to check its spread southwards; and liming 
resorted to on the margins generally. The recovery is marked by a big and 
very vigorous growth of the fern Nephrolepts acuta. An unusual dry spell 
at the close of November produced a wealth of colour, making many plants 
flower in profusion. 
By the kindness of Lieutenant-Colonel L. B. Boyd-Moss, c.m.g., d.s.o,, 
and of the officers, the band of the 1st Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment, 
played in the Gardens twice monthly, and the Regimental Drums beat 
“retreat** in the afternoon of one day in each alternate week. 
The demand for plants was greater than it has ever been; and the number 
sent out was 14,253,, together with 262 packets of seed. Two wardian cases 
were sent to Kew under the charge of the Assistant Director, containing, 
with ornamental plants, certain Malayan fruit trees asked for by His Excellency 
the Governor of Sierra Leone. 
Labour was used in the following ways: — for pot-plants, at the rate of 
8.90 men per diem; for cleaning roads and paths, Ti.46; for lawns, 9.15; 
for bedding 5.17; for nurseries 3.53; for sweeping 4.51; for caring for the 
trees 2.56; for rockeries, 0.09; for cleaning the lakes, 0.69; and miscella¬ 
neous 1.83. 
Much of the aggressive grass, P as pain m platycaule, was removed from 
the lawns; but it comes back if the smallest scrap is left, just as the allied 
P, dilatatum does in the Botanic Gardens, Sydney, whence it is reported as 
the worst local pest. 
