ST. HELENA 85 



house and certain other preliminary arrangements, I entered upon 

 the duties of this experiment by sowing a quantity of cinchona 

 seed of the two species succirubra and officinalis. In the course of 

 fourteen days these seeds began to germinate, and by the middle 

 of August many had attained a size to admit of handling. I then 

 pricked out the small plants into boxes of about four inches deep, 

 and conveniently large size, placing them, with the young plants 

 in them, in the propagating house, where they remained until large 

 enough for removal to the open-air nursery at the Peak. By 

 December we had increased our stock of seedlings to something 

 over 2,000 plants, the greater number exceedingly healthy and 

 from three to six inches in height. This number completely filled 

 the house, and many required to be moved on account of having too 

 little space to grow in, so it became necessary to select a site for a 

 nursery, and for a plantation somewhere on high land. A spot near 

 Newfoundland Cottage was fixed on, as combining the greatest 

 number of requisite points in respect to the object for which it was 

 chosen. It has almost the greatest altitude of any part, has a 

 southern aspect, is well sheltered, is rich in native vegetation, having 

 good soil. A road from the low lands runs along one side and there 

 is a cottage for a resident workman. This spot is a portion of the 

 south face of " Acteon," which is in the centre and highest part 

 and fortunately also is central in relation to the localities likely 

 to be found available for the cultivation of the cinchona plant. It 

 rises to a height of 2,700 feet above the level of the sea, and is one 

 of the dampest regions to be met with here. The character of the 

 ground is for the most part precipitous and rocky. The soil, con- 

 sisting chiefly of rich black peat or vegetable mould, rests upon a 

 bed of reddish soft volcanic rock, in some places of considerable 

 thickness, in others shallow, varying according to the inclination of 

 the ground. The indigenous vegetation with which it is clothed is 

 composed principally of what are here popularly called cabbage- 

 trees (Solidago sp. and Melanodendron integri folium), "dog wood" 

 (Hedyotis arborca) ; tree ferns (Dicksonia aborescens}, and several 

 species of smaller ferns, grasses, etc. These cabbage-trees consti- 

 tute the native bush and seldom exceed 25 to 30 feet ; the average 

 height is about 1 8 or 20 feet. 



The following gives temperature of air as deduced from a register 

 of the thermometer kept at Newfoundland Cottage, altitude 2,400 

 feet, during the months of August, September, October, and Novem- 

 ber of 1869. 



August. 



Mean minimum . . . $2*26' 



Mean maximum . . . 6o3' 



Highest temperature , 64 o' 



Lowest temperature . 5io' 



Mean daily variation . 78' 



Greatest daily variation . 1 3 o' 



September. 



Mean minimum 

 Mean maximum 

 Highest temperature 

 Lowest temperature 

 Mean daily variation 

 Greatest daily variation 



537' 

 63 6' 

 68o' 

 5io' 

 727' 

 I4o' 



