6 
of storm water from the road it had become very uneven and was difficult to 
keep tidy. The grass border on the far side of the lake was also re-made 
and turfed. 
New Planting.— Pepper and Betel-pepper plants were added to the group 
spices near the office; Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, pepper and Vanilla are now 
represented. It is intended to add ginger, turmeric and other plants. Three 
tree ferns ( Cibotium spp.) from Honolulu, kindly sent by Dr. H. L. Lyon, 
were planted, two near the lake and one in the plant house. All started new 
growth immediately, but it is too soon to say whether they will become really 
established. 
The following recently,introduced woody plants were planted:— 
Trees. — Irvingia malayana , Garcinia hombroniana, Cecropia sp. (origin 
Honolulu), Guazuma ulmifolia (Mexico), Mangifera caesia , Ceiba 
pentandra var. Caribaea (origin Buitenzorg), Araucaria excelsa , Erythrina 
corallodendron (Mexico), E. indica (Calcutta), E. stricta (Calcutta), E. sp. 
(Santa Lucia), Ficus indica, F. calophylla , F. viridicarpa, F. hirta, F. 
glomerata, F. Miquelii, F, cotinifolia (Mexico), F. involuta (Mexico), 
Cassia renig era. 
Palms. — Sabal Blackburnianum (from Bermuda), S. mexicanum (Br. 
Guiana), Trachycarpus excelsus (from Coimbra), Zalacca edulis, 
Hyophorbe amaricaulis , Licuala sp. (Siam), Phoenix madagascariensis 
(Tamatave), Coccothrinax barbadensis (from Hawaii), Actinophloeus sp. 
(Sibolangit), Bactis ottostaffiana (from Brazil). 
Shrubs.— Vitex agnus castus (from Washington), Carica heptaphylla 
(Mexico), Bauhinia malabarica, B. tomentosa (from Dehra Dun), B. sp. 
(Colombia), Plumeria acutifolia (Mexico), Ruellia longifolia (Ivew), 
Hamelia rovirosae (British Honduras). An additional Amherstia was 
planted near the Tyersall Gate. 
Losses. —Another old African Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis) from the 
Bandstand Hill, probably dating from about 1890, had to be removed as it was 
in very poor condition. The height of its trunk below the leaves was measured 
as 40 feet 6 ins. (12 metres). Two old Dacrydium trees have been lost during 
the year. Several remaining trees are showing signs of dying back, and 
new plants are being obtained to replace them. 
General Cultivation. —About half the grass area was top-dressed with 
sludge from the sewage disposal works, with immediate improvement. A 
considerable amount of labour was expended during the wet season towards 
the close of the year in digging around some of the younger trees and palms, 
and manuring with leaf-mould and cow-dung. This has resulted in much 
new growth. Evidently the roots of many plants cannot penetrate into the 
heavy clay which constitutes the top layer of earth throughout most of the 
Garden. They can only obtain sufficient moisture and aeration quite near the 
surface, and there compete with the grass. This work of cultivation is very 
laborious, but it appears to be essential if we are to have good growth of young 
trees. One plant which has shown very great additional growth‘ after 
cultivation is the Baobab (Adansonia digitata), which had made little growth 
during the previous two years. 
Orchids.- —The orchid collection generally improved considerably during 
the year owing to better methods of cultivation and manuring. A number of 
additions were made by exchange and purchase, the most notable being some 
hybrid Dendrobiums generously sent by Sir Jeremiah Colman, Broughtonia 
plants from Mr. W. Cradwick, Jamaica, and Dendrobium superbiens from the 
Bangkrabu nursery. A plant of Catasetum macrocarpum presented in 1932 
by Mr. H. L. Jeppesen made good growth and flowered. 
The hybrid orchid seedlings raised in the Gardens have in many cases 
made good growth, and the first hybrid Vanda flowered during the year. A 
considerable proportion of these seedlings were raised from seeds supplied by 
Mr. J. Laycock. Hybrid plants of Arachnis alba X Vanda Hookeriana, 
Arachms alb a X Renanthera Storiei, and Arachnis alba X moschifera have 
made very strong growth and should flower before long. Two Spathoglottis 
hybi ids, of S. aw ea crossed with varieties of S. plica ± a , have grown well and 
flowered freely and a hybrid of the white variety of S. plieata with S aurea 
has made good growth A plant of the Philippine hybrid S. plieata var. 
Parsonm has grown well, and also S. pubescens from Hong Kong, and it is 
hoped to utilise these also in future breeding work with this genus, which 
has great possibilities m Malaya. 
