33 



Observations. 



A comparison of the three last soils will illustrate how in the 

 tropics, the upper area of hills in cultivation get washed and poor 

 in Humus, while a progressive enrichment is found in the lower 

 levels. All these soils indicate the desirability of drainage. 



They do not need lime. The humus of the upper portion is so 

 much less in amount than that of the lower, that it is not surpris- 

 ing that the cocoa should be poor, apart from the exposure to 

 wind which Mr. Cradwick has pointed out. Any drainage works 

 would have to be carried out at a carefully adjusted gradient and 

 the washings carefully replaced on the soil. Every effort should 

 be directed towards reducing loss of fertility in the upper area. 



Conclusions. 

 These soils indicate that the original idea upon which the work 

 was based is sound, viz : — 



That in most cases the needs of the banana soils in St, Mary 

 and the neighbouring districts are not chemical fertilizers, but 

 rather — 



(i) Drainage 

 (ii) Humus 



and in some cases 

 (iii) Lime. 

 Mr. Cradwick is to be congratulated upon the way in which his 

 advice has been generally supported by the conclusions derived 

 from the subsequent examination of the soils in the Laboratory, as 

 is here evident and it is hoped that this work may be extended in 

 the future so that a large number of the smaller cultivators may 

 be advised as to the practical treatment of the soils on their 

 holdings. 



HOPE GARDENS. 



The cultivated area at the Hope Gardens contains not only an 

 ornamental garden but also an Experiment and Teaching Station. 



The first beginning of an Experiment Station at Hope was in 

 1874 under Mr. Robert Thomson. The Government came into 

 possession of 200 acres of land there in 1873, and determined to 

 transfer the new varieties of Sugar Cane, received from the Botanic 

 Gardens of Mauritius and Martinique and planted in the small garden 

 at Castleton, to the ample area at Hope. Nearly 18 acres were 

 put under Cane in 1874, and 5 more in 1875, and during the same 

 year 10 acres were planted in Teak. A small nursery was also 

 formed. In 1885, Sir D. Morris, at that time Director, proposed 

 that the land round the nursery should be made into a public park 

 at a cost of £5,000, though he thought a Botanic Garden could not 

 be carried on without a system of reservoirs for the storage of 

 water. However, Governor Sir Henry Norman decided that, as 

 there were no conveniences at that time for people travelling 

 cheaply from Kingston, there should be no outlay except grad- 

 ually in forming a Garden. 



