944 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Tune i, 1883. 



establislimeut of nurseries ou estates as most hopeful signs 

 of awakeuiug iu the staple industry of Jamaica. 

 A large collection of canes had been received from 

 Mr. Home of Mauritius one of which is said in the 

 Sandwich Islands to yield 6 to 7i tons of sugar per 

 acre, or over three times the average ! But this cane 

 ratoous only once. "We quote again : — 



The selected varieties of cacao plants, numbering about 

 340, are in i^ood health and have made rapid growth during 

 the past year. Although planted out ouly about 27 mouths 

 ago the largest are now 7 feet in height and measuring 

 1 inches iu circumference at the base. Many have flowered 

 freely, but in order to keep the plant in a good state of 

 vigorous growth, they have not been allowed to bear at 

 this early age. The temporary shade for these jalants has 

 consisted of a moderately thick growth of castor oil and 

 banana ; while young trees of the Sand box (Hura crepitans), 

 Guaugo (Pithecolobium Saman), Jak fruit (Artocarpus in- 

 tegrifolia) as well as one or two of the Boja immortelle 

 (Erythrina umbrosa) are already established so as to become 

 the permanent shade trees. 



The small blocks of Liberian coffee, nutmeg, clove, and 

 cinnamon are also doing well, although they were severely 

 tried liy the drought. From observations at the Hope 

 Plantations it would appear that Liberian coffee is quite 

 unsuited to the Liguanea or any dry arid plains of a similar 

 character even wheu well shaded ; the plants continually suffer 

 from " Ijlack bug " aud have leaves of a sickly yellow tiuge 

 and show every symptom of feeble health. On the con- 

 trary, in the mo ster districts of the island, Liberian coffee 

 looks very vigorous and healthy, as evidenced by their 

 dark, glossy leaves, and the stout, robust character of their 

 stems. 



Similar remarks apply to nutmegs, which require very 

 much the same conditions ; and, if possible, the neighbour- 

 hood of a stream with deep alluvial soil. 



The teak plantation occupying about ten acres is in good 

 condition and forms an object of great interest, the trees 

 are now between 7 and 8 years old, and, although planted in a 

 gravelly soil, have made good progress. 



The largest arc .about 40 feet high, with a circumference 

 at base of about 26 inches. 



It will be seen that there is, as yet, no evidence of 

 Hem'dcia rastatrix having found its way to Jamaica. 



The Palisadoes plantation is only 15 feet above sea- 

 level and evidently on the aea-shore. The mean 

 temperature is that of Colombo, 80°, but the rain- 

 fall, 39^ inches, seems too low for successful coconut 

 culture. It will be obseived that the superintendent, 

 in describiug the effect of the salt-laden winds ou 

 the youug plants, applies the very lauguage we used 

 when noticing the effects of salt-storms on vegetation, 

 with reference to the stem-mortitication disease — " ns 

 if they had beeu burnt by fire." It will be seen 

 also that the mungoose which has freed the sugar 

 estates from rats is powerless against those climb- 

 ing vermin on coconut plantations. 



At this experimental coconut plantation, the chief oper- 

 ations have been the clearing of land for extensions on the 

 eastern boundaries ; supplying vacancies ; the maiutenance 

 of nurseries ; and general manuring aud woudiug. The 

 number of young coconut plants put out in fresh ground 

 or for supplying vacancies amounted to 2,371 ; the num- 

 ber distributed free to the admiralty tor planting at the 

 Morant Cays, and Port Koyal, to the Commissioner of 

 Turks Islands, and the Koyal Engineer's Department was 

 1,750 ; while 200 coconut plants were sold to private i)Iaut- 

 ations. The number of plants at present (Sept. oOth) 

 In the nurseries, ready for pjanting out, is 3,135. 



The crops of nuts obtained dm*iug the year was 33,380. 

 This is the smallest return for some years aud is attri- 

 buted by the superintendent to the severe drought of last 

 year which lasted for seven mouths — \\z. '• December, 18S1, 

 to June, 1882. For four months, of this time, he reports 

 the prevalence of strong sea breezes with heavy spray 

 which affected the general health of the trees "makiug them 

 look as if they had beeu burnt by fire." To these I would 

 add, the after effects of the hurricane of 1880, which did 

 much more iniury to this plantation than was, at first, 

 auticijiated. There i&, uo doubt, that although cocouut 



trees can withstand moderately strong winds, they suffer 

 for a long time if subjected to anything like a hurricane. 

 The trees actually blown down aud broken were in most 

 cases irretrievably lost ; but of the remaining trees 

 many had their crop of young nuts so battered that 

 thej' never ripened : while the snapping of theb numerous 

 rootlets caused by the heavy swaying of the trees during the 

 gale retarded their growth and rendered them unproductive 

 for a longer or shorter period iu proportion to the injuries 

 received. 



I find that the experience of coconut planters at Morant 

 Bay, aud other parts of the island, visited by the hurricane, 

 fully confirms this view, aud the opinion of one of large ex- 

 perience is " that coconut plantations take fully two years 

 to recover after such a hurricane as we had in ISSO." 



This view is supported by the decided falhug-off iu the 

 general export of coconuts from this island during the past 

 year. While in 1860 the number of coconuts exported from 

 Jamaica had reached the large sum of 6,315,475, the exports 

 for 1881 suddenly fell to 2,5(j0,534, or about three-eighths of 

 that amouut. 



The superintendent reports that during the drought, when 

 there was a scarcity of fresh water on the plantation, the 

 black rat, which is a tree climber, was very destructive to the 

 young nuts, causing the loss of fully 20 per cent, of those 

 forming ou the trees. 



Although the mungoose is plentifully distributed over the 

 plantation, (and is often seeu swimming across the salt water 

 lagoons to reach the birds' nests on the islands) as it cannot 

 climb, it is quite unable to reach the black rat which builds 

 its nest and practically lives in coconut trees. The depred- 

 ation caused by rats is not so apparent during or after rains 

 as probably during such times they are not driven by thirst 

 to attack the young coconuts. 



King's .House Gardens aud Grounds are 380 feet 

 elevation, witli a mean temperature of 7S'7 and a 

 rainfall of 43"53 inches. In Jamaica, as iu Ceylon, 

 the f;uava plant seems to haunt waste grounds. Mr. 

 Morris writes : — 



The pasture adjoining the East Lodge has been thoroughly 

 weeded ami the ubiquitous guava bushes carefully rooted 

 out. The guava is one of the most troublesome weeds 

 in lowland pastures in Jamaica, and although horses aud 

 cattle are fond of the fruit and are observed eagerly 

 searching for it on the trees, a pasture over-run with 

 guava bushes has a most untidy appearance. Another 

 troublesome pest in jjastures is the guinea-hen weed, 

 Petiveria alliacea, which, as it endm-es much drought, and 

 remains green when other plants are burned up, is often 

 eaten by cattle. It has beeu observed to give milk the 

 taste of garlic and it is also said to communicate a 

 most unpleasant flavour to the flesh of the animals 

 feeding upon it. Other troublesome weeds in the pastures 

 are Corchorus hirsutus and Triumfetta semitriloba. 



As contributing to give the approaches to King's House 

 a more cidtivated appearance an avenue has been designed 

 one chain wide on each side of the road which, this year, 

 has received its first supply of plants. These, about 130 

 in number, consist of Urostigma, here called the Ceylon 

 "Willow, alternating with Oreodoxa regia or the Koyal 

 Palm of Cuba, one of the most stately and handsome of 

 the palm tribe. A pit four feet wide and three feet deep 

 was prepared for each plant and filled with two cart loads 

 of soil well mixed with rotten mauure and leaf mould. 

 To prevent cattle from injuring the plants they have been 

 enclosed by a circle of penguin about ten feet in diameter 

 which, when fully grown, will form a cheap and excellent 

 protection against all kinds of stock. The space between 

 the avenue and the road is kept clean and closely cut. 

 Besides " the Ceylon willow," there is mention made 

 of another Ceylon plant in the following paragraph : — 



Among the trees aud shrubs which were noticed in flower 

 for the first time was Dillenia indica, the Hondapara of 

 the Sinhalese, a handsome East Indian tree with leaves re- 

 sembUug the Spanish chestnut and very large white petalled 

 flowers with yellow stamens. The Loquat or Japanese 

 medlar (Eriobotrya japonica) also flowered at King's House 

 for the first time, although iu other parts of the Lsland it 

 has beeu established for some time. Among other plants 

 worthy of note which have lately flowered mention might 

 ije made of Dipladcuia amabilis, with its handsome cluster 



