June i, 1883.) 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



943 



This is, as far as I am aware, a fact unique in the his- 

 tory of cinchona cultivation. 



Altogether it seems evident that if the soil and other 

 conditions generally are equal to those of the New 

 Haven Gap and Monkey Hill plantations. .Jamaica is 

 likely to run .lava closely in the race of successful 

 cinchona culture. The only qualification Rlr. Morris 

 makes, apart from red spider and thrip already noticed, 

 is with reference to " some few denuded ridges where 

 ruginous clay crops up." Mr Morris notices favour- 

 ably the desire of the Jamaica Government'to get 

 cinchona febrifuge manufactured locally ; but we suspect 

 the better plan will be to sell their bark at good prices 

 in llie London market and then buy the various alkal- 

 oids from those who have devoted their lives to 

 cmchoua bark chemistry. After a paragraph on jalap 

 cultivation, Mr. Morris notices a system of training 

 cadets and appientices at the plantations, which miglit, 

 in a modified form, be worthy of cousideration in 

 Ceylun ; although of course, the pursuit with us has 

 already been taken up largely as a matter of private 

 enterjirize. Still young Europeans and Tamils 

 might be taught a good deal that would be useful to 

 them in our Government Gardens. We quote the 

 paragraphs : — 



Cajjkts — With the approval of His E.xcelleuey the Go- 

 vernor a certain nimiher of cadets are being received, 

 without salary, at the Government Plantations for the pur- 

 pose of being taught the details of cinchona cultivation, 

 and with the view of fitting them either to open plantations 

 on their own account, or to act as Managers or Supermteud- 

 euts of cinchona plantations. At the present time thi-ee 

 gentlemen are so attached, and I am glad to be able to 

 report that they are devoting themselves with zeal and 

 energy to then- work and taking a keen interest in all 

 tliat concerns the value and management of labour: de- 

 tails of nursery work : the minutiaa of planting : and the 

 various methods adopted for successfully harvesting ciu- 

 choua bark. 



The knowledge and experience thus gained will doubtless 

 prove of great service to them in after life, and I look 

 forward to a great impetus being given to Cinchona plant- 

 ing by the introduction of men of captail and education 

 who hitend to devote themselves solely to this important 

 industry. 



Apprentices. — In order to ti'ain a number of the better 

 class of native workmen in the details of nursery and 

 projiagating work connected with Cinchona cultivation, an 

 attempt has been made to attach a certain number to the 

 Government Plantations, where they undergo a systematic 

 cour.';e, so as to fit them in due tune to take charge of 

 niu'series or act as foremen on private plantations. The 

 experiment so far has worked satisfactorily. The apprent- 

 ices for the fii'st thi'ce months receive only a nominal rate 

 of pay, which, however, is gradually increased as they 

 become more efficient. '\\Tien apphcations are received for 

 men to take charge of nurseries on prive plantations, the 

 best of these .apprentices are recommended, and they gener- 

 ally receive wages ranging from 12/ to 20/ per week. 

 Three men trained at the Government estahhshmeut have 

 lately been apj)ointed as foremen on private plantations, 

 and four more are undergoing a com'se of training to iit 

 them for such appointments. 



By these means it is hoped the success of cinchona plant- 

 ing in private hands will be greatly promoted and at the 

 same tune an important service rendered to a large class 

 of young men hitherto without the means of lucrative 

 emplojinent. 



The cinchona plantations disposed of, we have next 

 a notice of the Parade Garden, Kingston, 50 feet above 

 the sea, with a mean temperature of 79'5 (1° below 

 Colombo) and '13' 18 inches rain (the rainfall of .Jaffna 

 nearly). This is a park and pleasure gardens for the 

 good people of Kingston. What Mr. Morris says about 

 the I'ictoyia ni/ic may, perhaps, account for failures 

 with this Royal Water Lily in Ceylon : — 



The Victoria rugia (Royal Water-Lily) which flomishes 

 witlt gi'ent luxuriance at the C.a.stleton Gardens has often 

 been tried in this basin but it has seldom gi-own for more 

 than a few mouths. It is evidently destroyed by a siuall 



fresh water snail (Planorbisl wliich comes in the larval or 

 young state in the water. A sunilar difficulty was found 

 ra e.5tabhshing this handsome plant at the Cieylou Botan- 

 ical Gardens and I doubt whether it can be wholly 

 overcome. 



We never heard the term "willow'' applied to any 

 of tlie Indian figs bi Ceylon, but, as far as we can 

 make out, our bo-tree, which might well be called 

 the Indian aspen, is in Jamaica called " the Ceylon 

 willow," and Mr. Morris values its ornamental char- 

 acter so highly that he has planted it (or some Ind- 

 ian fig) alternately witli the Royal Cuba palm, in an 

 avenue at the Governor's residence. The Indian figs 

 (Urostigma) are thus noticed with other plants as 

 growing in the Kingston GJarden : — 



Among the plants worthy of note in this garden, men- 

 tion might be made of several species of Urostigma, wliich 

 with then' bright, green, glossy foUago and drooping habit 

 are admii-ably adapted as shade ti'ees for their plains. 

 They have a rich profusion of small and somewhat thick 

 leaves on nrunerous pendant branches, they stand wind 

 well and never ai)pear to suffer from drought. One 

 species here commonly called the "Ceylon Willow" has 

 been largely propagated by layeiiug, and plants have been 

 distributed to May Pen Cemeteiy and other places where 

 handsome spacious trees are desu'ed. 



Two plants of Brachychitou ijopulnea, alhed to the Flame 

 tree of Austi-alia, are growing well and promise to become 

 very ornamental. 



A plant of Erythi-osylon coca, propagated by seed from 

 a specimen received about thi'ee years ago fi-om the Royal 

 Gardens, Kew, has within 18 months grown remarkably 

 well and is now bearing seed. The leaves of tliis plant, 

 it will be remembered, are largely employed as a mastic- 

 atory under the name of Coca by the inhabitants of 

 Peru, Quito and New Grenada. Coca forms an article of 

 commerce among the Indians and wherever they go they 

 carry with them a bag of the carefully dried leaves. [See 

 Treasm-y of Botany, p. 469.] Among the plants of econo- 

 mic mterest are two specimens of the Ceara rubber Mani- 

 hot Glaziovi, which withstood the late drought much better 

 than was expected ; they ajre now gi'owing rapidly and 

 showing sigus of flowering. 



Amoug palms the indigenous Sabal lunbracuhfera, the 

 Bull Thatch or Royal Palmetto, appears as woidd natm'ally 

 be exjiected, to thrive well at this garden. A specimen 

 only about 4 or o years old has flowered and friuted for 

 some time and it is e\'idently at home. 



The handsome and graceful Cocos plumosa : the glauc- 

 ous-hued Date palm, Phoenix dactj'lifera : the Royal 

 Palm of Cuba, Oreodoxa regia : the indigenous Mountain 

 Cabbage, Oreodoxa oleracea, also add to the beauty of 

 the garden and give it a characterestic tropical aspect. 

 If the Royal Palmetto is so much at home in Kings- 

 ton, surely it would do well in portions of Colombo 

 fairly sheltered from the monsoon winds 1 The Hope 

 plantation is situated at 650 feet altitude, with a 

 mean temperature of 7S' and a rainfall of 56 inches, 

 and of it Mr. Morris says : — 



This establishment has been found of increasiug im- 

 portance for the distribution of economic plants in the 

 plains ; and Mr. MoNair has steadily and satisfactorily met 

 the numerous demands made for new sugar canes and for 

 such plants as Liberian coffee, cacao, nutmeg, orange, pine 

 apple, teak, mahogany, divi-divi, and other timber and fruit 

 trees. 



The celebrated Caracas cacao which, I believe, has now 

 been introduced for the first time to Jamaica is likely to 

 prove most useful for cultivation in warm sheltered valleys 

 along the southern slopes of the island. 



The elephant cane, the history of which has already been 

 given in former reports, continues to be in great demand 

 and is much liked in certain districts. It is evidently best 

 suited for warm humid climates. In dry districts even 

 with irrigation it is not so sucbessful as the Salaugore, 

 With such varying conditions of soil and cUmate as exist 

 on sugar estates in Jamaica, it may naturally be expected 

 that numerous varieties of canes are required to enable the 

 planter to obtain the best results with the means at his 

 eouunanil. Hence, I look upon tlie greater interest whicli 

 is taken in cultivating new vaiietics of sufar-caues aud the 



