THE CINCHONA BOTANICAL STATION 



45 



In the first place it has that supremely important requisite, a pri- 

 meval forest. There are scores of square miles of this within easy reach 

 of Cinchona. It is only in such a forest that the extreme complexity 

 attainable in a plant formation can be seen. Moreover, Cinchona is lo- 

 cated in a botanical garden where scores of exotics are established, and 

 where greenhouses, propagating grounds and helpers of some experi- 

 ence are available for collecting and growing material. 



Secondly, because of the small size and irregular topography of the 

 island of Jamaica, areas furnishing many varieties of conditions, from 

 mountain peaks to coral reefs, can be readily reached from Cinchona. 

 For exam])]e, tlioro arc about Cinchona 25 square miles of mountainous 



A Leafless Silk Cotton Teee r.EAraxG Numekous Feuits. AH the foUage in tbe 

 crown of this tree belongs to the thnusands of epiphytes on its branches. 



country above the 5,000 foot level, and 1-iO square miles above 3,000 

 feet. There are also within reach river bottoms and sandy or rocky, des- 

 ert or swampy sea coasts. 



Thirdly, there are already two botanical gardens established in the 

 lowlands where they can be used as substations for the study of prob- 

 lems concerning plants of these regions. One of these, Castleton, is in 

 a damp region at 500 feet elevation, where it has a rainfall of 140 inches 

 and a mean temperature of 75 degrees. The collection of plants here 

 includes many ferns, cycads and screw pines, over a hundred species of 

 palms, fine examples of Ficus and numerous other dicotyledonous trop- 



