138 EFFECTS OF FORESTS ON MOISTURE. 



Good Hope and the coast. The date palm, coffee bush, and custard 

 apple look healthy and strong in their seed beds, and thousands of 

 young shrubs and trees, from the Peak down to the level of the home 

 gardens, are making rapid growth, whilst the furze, bramble, and 

 other shrubs fill the deep ravines and fissures with a luxuriant foliage, 

 affording good cover for game. Pine apples have arrived to great 

 perfection under Mr Bell's treatment, and we are making fresh 

 plantations from time to time. 



" Of all things we most require conifers, and find that various 

 attempts have been made by my predecessor to obtain seeds. The 

 following advice in a letter from Dr Lindley to the Comptroller of 

 Victualling, dated Acton Green, August 20, 1860, if acted upon would 

 be of great service to the island : — ' Mr Bell finds by experience that 

 of all trees the most useful to plant on the mountain slopes are 

 conifers. In this I concur, and I would advise their Lordships to 

 send out a supply of Chilian Araucarian and Norfolk Island pines, 

 most especially the former, which form forests on the southern face 

 of the Chilian Andes in precipitous places, where they bid defiance to 

 storms. Ally quantity of the seeds (Chilian Araucarian Pine) could 

 be procured tlu'ough the English Consul at Valparaiso, Mr Rouse, 

 who, however, should be instructed to take care that the seeds are 

 fresh. The Indians bring them to market, but sometimes so old 

 that they will not grow.' 



" I hope to be able to get Norfolk Island pine cones, and Australian 

 trees and plants through my predecessor, Commodore Burnett ; they 

 all do well at Ascension. 



" The Bermudean cedar grows most luxuriantly at the Peak, and 

 a parcel of the seed would be most acceptable. Scai'cely any trees 

 or shrubs bear seed here. 



" As Sir William Hooker takes a lively interest in the cultivation 

 of the island, he may like to know what steps have been taken to 

 carry out his valuable suggestions, as well as those of Dr Lindley 

 and Dr J. D. Hooker, which I have found amongst the Records. 



" Finding a great scarcity of manure, and no facilities for carting 

 it up from the garrison, I shortly after my arrival commenced stall 

 feeding, and slaughtering the oxen at the Mountain, and have now a 

 most valuable heap of manure ready for our worn land. 



" I next pi'ocured a quantity of guano from Boatswain Bird Island ; 

 this, from its great poi'tability, will be a great boon to us if it succeeds, 

 which I have every hope of its doing from the healthy green and 

 luxuriant foliage of a large breadth of sweet potatoes manured with it. 



