42 THE PLANT WORLD 



landsias, orchids, philodendrons, ferns and Bhipsalis, Cassytha,Sind Cereus 

 ty'iangularis are found perched in such aerial situations. Along the 

 road, now, one encounters the bread-fruit tree {Artocarpus incisa), and 

 the jack tree (A. integrifolia) in all their luxuriance of growth, and loaded 

 down with heavy fruit. Palms are seen, to add to the confusion of 

 tropical growth, in the following species : Gocos nucifera, Phoenix dactyl- 

 ifera (sparingly), Acrocomia sclerocarpa, Oreodoxa oleracea, and occa- 

 sionally, Sahal umbraculifera. The trumpet tree {Cecropia peltata), the 

 pimento tree, the chocolate shrub {Theohroma cacao), the silk cotton 

 tree, the mango tree {Mangifera indica), the star-apple tree {Chryso- 

 phyllum caenito), help to make up the arborescent growths of the hill- 

 sides. The larger trees are hung with festoons of lianes. Abrus preca- 

 torius, Entada scandens, Philodendron ImgulaUim, P. lacerum, ■ Vitis 

 cartbaea, Passiflora sp. add to the tangle. At higher elevations, the 

 bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris, with its nodding plumes, becomes abundant, 

 and tree ferns belonging to the genera CyafJiea and Alsojohila appear at 

 home along the drive-way. Hibiscuses, Lantanas, Asclepias curassavica 

 and Allamanda cathartica brighten the uniform, dark green of the 

 mountain sides with bright spots of color^, A pen description cannot 

 convey any adequate idea of the luxuriance of the tropical vegetation 

 and its wealth in forms of interest to the botanist, as one proceeds along 

 the highway to Castleton. 



Castleton is situated in a deep valley, entirely surrounded by lofty 

 mountains, through which flows the Wag Water, foaming and tumbling 

 about like a true mountain stream. Nature has made a garden of this 

 vale. Its soil is rich and fertile, its climate never cold, nor even un- 

 comfortably hot, the mean temperature being 75°, and the rainfall 109 

 inches annually, hence the relative humidity is comparatively high, 

 especially during the summer months. 



In 60, the Legislature appropriated money for the purchase of 

 the site, and Nathaniel Wilson, the island botanist, was entrusted with 

 the formation of a garden there. In some respects, the choice of loca- 

 tion was unfortunate, because of the distance of Castleton from Kingston 

 and from the Colonial Railroad. However, it is a place of natural advan- 

 tages and beauty. Here bloom a large assortment of native and 

 imported orchids. India, the far distant islands of the Pacific, tropical 

 Africa and America have contributed each their quota of valuable food 

 plants, medicinal trees, palms and herbs. There is an experimental 

 ground for novel economic plants. Kola nuts, cacao, olives, sugar-cane, 

 rubber-plants, nutmeg, clove, black-pepper, mangoes, vanilla, pineapples, 

 etc., are under observation here. Taste and skill have succeeded in 

 arranging these trophies in a pleasing manner, and convenient benches 



