MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 135 
other orchids may be seen in pots, baskets, and on blocks of 
wood. 
‘*Despite the hot dry climate at Hope Gardens a section is 
set aside for roses. At the time of my visit the plants showed 
the effect of the unfavorable atmospheric conditions in much 
the same manner as do ours during the months of July and 
August. I was informed that during the cooler season a rep- 
resentative number of flowers were obtained. The plants are 
concentrated in parallel beds about fifty feet long and six 
feet wide, with grass walks between. The hoe is used con- 
tinually during the hot season as well as irrigation, the irriga- 
tion ditch being cut through the middle of each bed. 
NURSERY 
‘The thousands of plants propagated annually are not only 
for maintaining the garden collection, but also for commer- 
cial use. These are sold locally and the proceeds used to 
help defray garden maintenance, the government grant evi- 
dently not being sufficient to cover fully the annual cost of 
upkeep. The plants propagated are mainly of the decorative 
type, such as roses, crotons, ixoras, hibiscus, vines, ete. Plant 
propagation in the tropics is a much simpler operation than, 
with us. Large frames filled with sand are used for rooting 
the selected shoots, and the commoner types readily take root 
in a short time even when placed in nursery rows in ordinary 
soil. The rapidity of development from the cutting is re- 
markable to one familiar with greenhouse practice in St. 
Louis. The clay pot is an expensive luxury in Jamaica, and 
the bamboo pot is generally substituted for it. The bamboo 
is obtained from the interior or uplands in the neighborhood 
of Castleton. The natives cut the long canes into sections 
averaging about a foot long, the diameter varying according 
to the age of the plant. The bottom of the pot is the nodal 
partition of the bamboo cane, and to permit drainage a hole 
is made similar to that in the ordinary clay pot. After the 
rooted cuttings are planted in these native containers they 
are placed in beds in the nursery, being shaded by the over- 
hanging branches of trees. They soon establish themselves 
provided they are watered frequently. When the young 
plant is large enough to warrant planting directly in the 
ground the pot is split open, exposing the rooted specimen. 
CASTLETON GARDENS 
“In 1860 the legislature appropriated money for the pur- 
