20 Mr. James Epps, Jun., on 
plants are found here, and the grounds are prettily laid out, but 
I regret to say the Curator does not pay sufficient attention to 
the most important point of keeping the trees named. I will 
now refer to a few specimen palms—the traveller’s tree (Ravenala 
Madagascariensis) is another very graceful and striking plant. 
It is so named because at the base of each petiole there is stored 
at least half a pint of pure water. This can easily be tested by 
a slight puncture, when the water runs freely from the wound, 
and may be safely drunk. Another most useful palm may be 
mentioned, the Cocos nucifera; this I think is one of the most 
beautiful of the palm family; it flourishes best, it is said, near 
the sea-coast ; this is not altogether correct, as I have seen it 
flourish and produce fruits in large quantities many miles inland. 
At the entrance to the Caroni-farm cacao estate is an avenue 
of the coco-nut palm. The albumen contains a large percentage 
of oil, which is largely used for cooking purposes. The water, 
or milk as it is called in this country, contained in the immature 
fruit, is largely drunk, and is a very refreshing drink ; boys and 
men can often be seen with donkey-carts filled with the fruits, 
and for five cents the boy takes his cutlass, trims off the husk, 
and cuts a small lid off the top of the nut, and one has at least 
a pint of the purest of drinks. 
To see the virgin forest one must now go some little distance; — 
it is slowly but certainly disappearing. Any energetic young 
man, who does not object to work for a little, can get a grant of 
crown lands for a nominal sum, and having got it he has at 
once to clean down the forest; this is no easy task. Any valuable 
timber trees are first cut down and removed; then the remaining ~ 
bush is chopped down and burnt. The ashes and virgin soil © 
make a most fertile soil for the young cacao trees. To dive into — 
the virgin forest has a most wonderful charm. One is first — 
struck by the absolute stillness of the air; not a movement, not 
a sound, except perhaps some noisy parroquet may start scream- — 
ing, or one hears the mournful sound of the mountain dove; — 
then to see the giants of the forest, reaching up to a hundred and — 
fifty feet, with their boughs chained together by the climbing 
and aerial plants ; these send their roots down in most fantastic 
shapes. One very noticeable climber is the ‘‘Scotchman’’; this” 
will start growing close to one of our fine forest giants, and after 
a little it will tie and bind its stem so closely round the trunk 
of our giant that it ultimately kills it and takes its place. 
The aerial roots and stems thus hanging from the higher trees 
very much resemble the rigging of a ship. Birds and animals 
are few in the forest. It is here that we find, climbing up the 
trunks of the trees, the vanilla plant, the pods of which when 
dried are used for flavouring. ; 
—_ 
