December i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



509 



PUBLIC AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 

 JAMAICA. 



{KOKESTRV :— COFFEES — CINCHONA — COCOA (CACAO) — OTHER 

 NEW rnODUCTS. 



To Mr. D. Morris we are indebted for a copy of 

 his elaboi'ate and very interesting scries of reports on 

 tlie Jamaica Gardens and Plantations for JSSl. Tlie 

 range o\'er which the reports travel is wide and compre- 

 hensive, taking in forestry, as well as the various coffees, 

 cacao, chichona, &c. Coconvit culture is touched on aud 

 the cause of the failure of these palms in a particular 

 district, has a direct bearing on the question of Aus- 

 tralian gums and cinchona. The coconut palms were 

 destroyed by a beetle which originates in the " Big 

 Thatch " palm, Sabal Umbracidifera, and passes to 

 the coconut with fatal effect, the Big Thatch palm 

 living on. Mr. Morris states : — " It seems as if, in 

 this instance, a choice must be made between the 

 Big Thatch and the coconut." But the work of ex- 

 termination is deemed impossible. '1 he difference with 

 ns is that the pest originating in the gums, is as 

 injurious to those trees as to the cinchonas, &c. , which 

 they infect. 



We place here an extract which is largely as 

 true of Ceylon as of Jamaica : — 



As already mentioned, it is evident that Jamaica must 

 depend for its prosperity aud success, almost entirely on 

 the resources and products of an agricultural character. 



We have no large stores of timber, we have no miner- 

 als, we have no manufacturing industries, and we cannot 

 hope to struggle successfully with other countries in the 

 more advanced arts and sciences. "We, nevertheless, pos- 

 sess a rich and productive soil, a salubrious climate, abund- 

 ant springs and a vast extent of uncleared mountain land ; 

 and it is mainly on the due utilisation of these valuable 

 natural resources that our prosperity must ultimately de- 

 pend. Under these circumstauccs the chief aim of the 

 Department has been directed towards bringiug into notice 

 the nature and character of such resourc;es and to foster- 

 ing and promoting any well-directed efforts for their util- 

 ization. 



The position and prospects of several new industries, 

 such as Libcrian Coftee, Oacao, Tobacco, Oranges, Man- 

 goes, Piue-apples, Spices, India-rubbers, Fibre-yielding 

 plants, &c., &.C., are carefully noticed with this view; and 

 the success which has already attended these comparat- 

 ively recent efforts would indicate that capital and energy 

 are alone wanting to place the island in an important 

 position as the source of most tropical production.s. 



From Dr. H. A, A. NichoUs, au esteemed correspondent 

 at Dominica, supplies of Liberian coffee aud lime seeds 

 were received to meet the extensive demands which had 

 arisen for these plants. From Jlr. Ed. S. Rand, a corre- 

 spondent at Para, was received a consignment of 300 fruits 

 of the Para nut; and from Dr. Hansen, about 50 seeds 

 of the much esteemed Sabucaia nut. From local corre- 

 spondents, I have to acknowledge the receipts of the carob 

 tree, Ceratonia .•<i/iijHa, from Mr. A\'il]iam Lee, Adminis- 

 trator-General, which yields the Locust pods so extensively 

 used in the manufacture of foods for cattle ; specimens of 

 Orchiiis have been received from the Hon. Col. Hackett 

 Oapt. Jlainwaring, K.N., aud Mr. Oscar Marescaux ; several 

 ferns from the Reverend John Thomson, Halfway- Tree ; 

 some Orchids and other plants from Mr. Ed. Braham, St. 

 Ann's ; a supply of seeds of Timber trees and jialms from 

 the parishes of Hanover aud Westmoreland, contributed 

 by Mr. De B. Speucer Heaven and Mr. B. S. Gosset ; a 

 plant of Sarracenia purpitrai aud various seeds from Nova 

 Scotia, by Mr. Anthony Musgrave, jnr. ; a quantity of 

 lime seed from the Honorable L. C. Shirley ; some sweet 

 orau^-" .seed from JNlessrs. Wray and Nephew, Kingston, 

 aud 517 nutmeg seeds from Dr. E. W. Major, Bath. I 

 li.-ive to express my thauUs to these aud other valued 

 correspondents in the Island, for such exchanges and con- 

 tributions of plants; and I woidd add that the Depart- 

 nunt is always glad to acknowledge such contributions 

 iuid to reciprocate by cxchaugcs of any new aud valuable 

 pl.uits that may be desired. 

 65 



Plants aud seeds in the usual course of exchange have 

 been received from the Directors and Superintendents of 

 the following Colonial and other Establishments, viz : — 

 The Botanic Gardens, Ceylon. 

 AV. Bull, Esq., Chelsea. 

 The Acclimatisation Society of Queensland. 

 The Botanic Gardens, Trinidad. 

 The Botanic Gardens, Mauritius. 

 The Botanic Gardens, Buitenzorg, Java. 

 The Botanic Gardens, Hongkong. 

 The Botanical Gardens, Calcutta. 

 The Department of Agriculture, AVashingtou. 

 Sutton k, Sons, Beading, England. 

 AA^. Paul & Sou, AA^altbam, England. 

 The Botanic Gardens, Singapore. 

 The Botanic Gardens, Saharunapore, N. AV. India. 

 The Botanic Gardens, Melbourne. 

 The total number of receipts during the year consist of 

 10 AA^'ardiau cases containing valuable economic plants; 12 

 boxes containing Cocoa, Liberian coffee, and 350 packages 

 and bags of seeds. 



In return, this department has forwarded 6 AA''ardian 

 cases containing plants ; 16 boxes containing seeds and 

 orchids, and an aggregate of 420 packets of seed weighing 

 107 pounds. 



Exchanges and the free distribution of seeds and plants 

 in the Island have received special attention. Nearly InO 

 packets containing seeds, &c., have been distributed by 

 po-st among the Custodes of the several parishes and other 

 correspondents in different parts of the Island. These 

 packets contained seed of selected fruit trees, best Havan- 

 nah Tobacco, Para-nuts, Gram or Chick Pea, Liberian 

 Coffee, Cacao, Nutmeg, Cinchona seed. Ornamental and 

 Timber trees, food plants, new grass seed, &c., &c. 



I am glad to find that, by these means, I have been 

 able to distribute and establish throughout the Island, 

 many new and important plants, and the gentlemen who ■ 

 have kindly assisted me in thus reaching even the remotest 

 localities, deserve the be.st thanks of the community. 



I would here remark that there is much activity dis- 

 played even by the poorest peasants in obtaining and 

 cultivating new plants ; and I cannot but hope that, before 

 many years have elapsed, this activity will result in the 

 greater prosperity and wealtli of the Island, antl in placing 

 it in the first rank as exporter of fruit and raw materials 

 to the markets of England and America. 



Sales of Economic Plants. — The local demand for economic 

 plants has, in some cases, been quite beyond the resources 

 of the Gardens, whilst in others they have been greatly 

 taxed to meet the requisitions made upon them. The dis- 

 tribution of plants from each establishment wiU be given 

 later on, but I would here remark that the distribution 

 of j^lants. on payment during the past year has included 

 84 ounces of seed, 330,000 seedUngs and 50,000 plants of 

 Cinchona from the Cinchona Plantation ; 40,000 plants of 

 the best Trinidad Cacao, Liberian Coffee, selected Oranges, 

 Nutmeg, East India Mangoes, Cardamoms, A'auilla, Clove, 

 Cinnamon, Pine-apple suckers, and newly-imported Sugar 

 Canes from the Castletou Gardens and Hope Plantation, 

 and numerous packets of miscellaneous seeds and cuttings. 

 This distribution is in excess of that of last year by nearly 

 12,000 plauts; and it is gratifying to find that, notwith- 

 standing the tact that certain prices are now charged for 

 plants formerly given away, the number of plants dirtri- 

 buted is steadily increasing. The receipts on the sale of 

 jilants during the past year amounted to £700 3s. 6d. — the 

 total receipts, together with the results of Cinchona Bark 

 anil .Jalap sales, amounted to nearly £3,400. The pro- 

 vision on the estimates for the total cost of the Depart- 

 ment for last year was nearly £5,431. Not being a Kevenue 

 Department, the acquisition of extra receipts is by no means 

 looked upon as a main feature in the administration of 

 the Department. Its chief objects are of a scientific and 

 industrial character, viz., to assist and foster iu every 

 possible manner the introduction of new economic plants 

 into the Colony; to propagate and distribute such plauts 

 throughout the Island, supplying at the same time what- 

 ever scientific and practical information that may be desired 

 respecting their successful utilization and culture. 



Dijfnsion of Information respcctimj F.conornic Plants. — 

 A Hst containing the names of the wiost interesting tim- 

 ber and shade trees, oruaineutal trees and shrubs, fruit 



