73° 
NURSERIES. 
The raising of plants at cheap rates to supply the needs of 
planters constitutes the work of this important and useful branch 
of the department. Here the planter can obtain at a small cost 
all the plants he may require for his estate, and is thus saved 
the trouble and inconvenience of having to provide them for 
himself. 
To the new planter in particular these nurseries are of special 
value, for he is able to obtain a supply of young plants at any 
time to plant up his newly cleared forest land, which means a 
gain to him of at least 12 months in the case of lime plants, and 
nearly 2 years should he decide on budded trees of either Citrus 
or Cocoa. 
With a steady increase in the demand for plants it became 
necessary in 1907 to extend the nurseries by taking in the only 
available piece of ground, which is situated on top of the Morne, 
and using it solely as a lime nursery; keeping the main nursery 
situated on a level with the Botanic Garden for budded Citrus, 
Sugar cane, Rubber, Coffee and miscellaneous stock, and suc 
lime plants as might be required to supplement the principal 
supply at the Morne to meet the requirements of planters. The 
total area of these two nurseries is a little over 6 acres, in 
Mangosteens, Durians, &c. are grown in bamboo pots. 
Near by stand two glass-rcofed propagating houses with open 
sides used for raising seeds of a delicate nature and seeds which, 
if sown in the open ground, would be devoured by rats and birds. 
The shaded nursery referred to above is of the ordinary type 
used in the tropics, consisting of a light frame work of wood, 
with a covering of wire netting, over which creepers are encouraged 
to grow to provide the necessary shade ; the whole structure being 
supported by posts placed at regular intervals. 
It may be mentioned that a section of this nursery is always 
kept stocked with large specimens of palms, flowering trees and 
shrubs, and economic plants growing in boxes ready to plant 
out in the places of those that may be blown down by a 
hurricane. 
It is difficult for anyone to imagine the damage that can be 
wrought by a hurricane until he has seen the after-effects, or 
worse still, experienced one for himself. 
The hurricanes of 1915 and 1916 did considerable damage. 
Apart from damage done in other parts of the island, where in 
some cases the tops of dense forests were blown away and huge 
trees and boulders washed down into the sea, the collection of 
