1898] NOTES AND COMMENTS 79 



sunlight, the abundance or want of rain, and the different geological 

 formations, supply conditions of so diversified a character as to 

 render the cultivation of economic plants from all parts of the world 

 an easier task than in most other places. The first botanic garden 

 was founded about 150 years ago by a private individual, a Mr East, 

 on his own property, about nine miles from Kingston. In 1775 a 

 government garden was formed adjoining Mr East's, and Dr Thomas 

 Clarke came out as island botanist. He introduced the tea-plant, 

 camphor, litchi, and ' sago-palm ' {Cycas circinalis), and a few years 

 later the clove-tree. In 1779 another garden was started at Bath. 

 Three years later many valuable economic plants were added to 

 Mr East's garden, being part of the spoil from a captured French 

 ship bound from Mauritius for Haiti. Finally, on Mr East's death, 

 his garden was purchased by the Assembly. Among the intro- 

 ductions of the next few years we notice tlie bread fruit, brought by 

 Captain Bligh from Otaheite. Cinnamon and mango were also 

 thriving. In the general depression experienced at the beginning 

 of the century the gardens were much neglected, the original one 

 being sold in 1810. In 1825 Dr James MacFady en was appointed 

 island botanist. He commenced a Flora of Jamaica, of which only 

 the first and part of the second volume appeared. He was succeeded 

 in 1828 by Thomas Higson, and in 1829 the Bath garden was 

 increased. In 1846 it passed under the care of Nathaniel Wilson, 

 who had been trained at Kew and Kensington, and is described as 

 a most capable man. He introduced a large number of plants, 

 especially fibre-yielding. In his report for 1861 he notes the 

 receipt from Sir W. Hooker of seeds of several species of Chuhona, 

 and the fact that several hundred young plants were now ready for 

 planting out. In 1862-6 a new garden was started at Castle ton, 

 and in 1868 Cinchona plantations were formed on the slopes of 

 the Blue Mountains, at 4000 to 6000 feet above sea-level, under 

 Wilson's successor, Eobert Thomson. A plantation of Assam tea 

 was also formed. During the next ten years considerable advance 

 was made under ]\Ir Thomson's Hgime. A great number of valuable 

 plants were introduced from Kew and all parts of the world, and 

 among other items w^e note the arrival in 1874 of a skilled 

 European gardener at Cinchona, where all kinds of ' English ' vege- 

 tables are now grown. At the present time Mr Fawcett is re- 

 sponsible for no less than six separate gardens, ornamental and 

 experimental, representing very different conditions of climate. 

 Some idea of their value and the amount of work done may be 

 gathered from the following account of the Hope garden, which is 

 situated in the dry Liguanea plain, about six miles from Kingston : 

 " From being at first a small nursery and an experimental ground 

 for sugar cane, it has now developed into a large garden with 6 



