JUNE 17, 1915] 
NATURE 
441 


valuable herbarium representative of the Jamaican 
flora. These, together with the willing help of the 
superintendent, Mr. W. Harris, greatly facilitate 
determinations of species. The laboratories of the 
island chemist and of the Government micro-biologist, 
where, by the courtesy of the Government, reagents 
may be purchased at cost price, are located within 
easy reach of the gardens. 
Castleton Garden occupies a tract of undulating 
ground on the left bank of the Wag-Water River, 
nineteen miles north-west of Kingston, on the road 
leading to Annotto Bay on the north coast. The 
average elevation of the garden is 500 ft., the annual 
mean temperature is 76° F., and the average rainfall 
117 in. Though much smaller, and from an economic 
point of view less important than the principal garden 
at Hope, Castleton is, if anything, of greater interest 
to the botanical visitor. The climatic conditions are 
highly conducive to the growth of luxuriant vegeta- 
tion; for not only is the rainfall more than twice as 
high as at Hope, but the atmospheric humidity is also 
far greater, particularly at night time, the dews being 
extraordinarily heavy. One of the most. striking 
features of the garden is the collection of palms 
grouped artistically around a centre water-lily pond. 
Other families of Angiosperms that are particularly 
well represented are the Moraceze, the Czaesalpinioid, 
and other Leguminosz, and the Lecythidaceze. Groups 
of Cycads and of Marattiaceous and Cyatheaceous 
ferns, bamboo-groves, clumps of tall Scitaminee, 
Aroid root-climbers, and the ubiquitous epiphytic 
Bromeliads and epiphyllous Lichens and Hepatics are 
other prominent elements in a thoroughly tropical 
scene. 
The Hill Gardens—formerly the Cinchona Planta- 
tion, and still generally known as Cinchona—are 
placed on one of the southern spurs of the Blue Moun- 
tains, at an altitude of 4goo0 ft. As the crow flies, 
they are about fifteen miles from Kingston, in a 
northerly direction; but by road the distance is some- 
what greater. The scenery, especially on the latter 
part of the route, is beautiful in the extreme, and the 
vegetation varied and interesting, although up to 
about 4000 ft. it has been considerably modified -by 
cultivation. ; 
The. Hill Gardens were at one time the headquarters 
of the botanical department, and the centre of exten- 
sive Cinchona plantations, but are now the least 
important, economically, of the agricultural and 
botanical stations maintained by the Jamaican Govern- 
ment. The garden proper lies on the steep terminal 
slope of a spur, which projects in a southerly direction 
from the central chain of the Blue Mountains, at a 
point situated nearly midway between the two high 
passes known respectively as Morce’s Gap and New- 
haven Gap. Except to the northward, where the 
ground rises steeply for some distance, magnificent 
views are obtained in every direction. Due south, 
one looks across the deep Yallahs valley, over the 
Port Royal Hills, towards Kingston Harbour, the 
great Palisadoes reef, which forms its natural breals- 
water, and the open sea. On the west and south- 
west, John-Crow Peak and Catherine Peak stand out 
prominently above many lesser hills. | Eastwards, 
beyond the Green River valley, rise Sir John Peak 
(6100 ft.) and the twin summits of the Blue Moun- 
tain Peak (both more than 7ooo ft.), the latter almost 
always wrapped in mist except at dawn. 
The Cinchona dwelling-house is a substantial single- 
storey building, of bungalow type, containing two 
sitting-rooms and four bedrooms, besides kitchen, 
scullery, and servants’ quarters. It is this house that 
is now let to a committee of the British Association, 
and would be available for scientific visitors. It is 
NO. 2381, VOL. 95] 

furnished and kept in excellent repair, and is cleansed 
and aired at regular intervals, so as to be ready for 
occupation at any moment. Close by are four or five 
wooden sheds, two of which. stand on the same terrace 
as the house, the rest being situated at a somewhat 
higher level. These were formerly utilised as offices 
and store-rooms, and are well adapted to serve as 
laboratories for morphological or physiological work. 
The largest shed has bench and window space amply 
sufficient for the needs of half a dozen workers. At 
present there is no supply of running water in con- 
nection with any of these outhouses, as the highest 
of the existing storage tanks lies approximately at 
the same level as the floor of the large shed, and is 
only connected to the dwelling-house. But it would 
be a simple matter to lay down a tank further up 
the hills, from which pipes could be carried to any 
of the sheds. Cinchona is fortunate in possessing an 
almost ideal climate. The annual mean temperature 
is 62° F., the mean variation only 12° F. The rain- 
fall is high, amounting to 104 in.; but, during the 
summer months, at any rate, this precipitation chiefly 
takes the form of heavy thunder-showers, which fall 
in the middle of the day, and are usually followed by 
delightfully fresh, sunny evenings. The nights are 
always cool, and often indeed decidedly cold. 
Like the Port Royal Hills, the Blue Mountains are, 
on their southern side, cultivated up to about 4oo0 ft. ; 
from that level upwards they are clad in a dense 
covering of virgin forest which extends up to the 
highest summits. As already stated, the cultivation 
of Cinchona trees was at one time carried on upon 
a large scale on the slopes around the Hill Gardens. 
At the present day scarcely any traces of these planta- 
tions remain, and the hillsides are rapidly returning 
to their natural condition. A large amount of 
botanical material of general interest can therefore 
be collected in the immediate vicinity of the gardens. 
A pleasant walk of three miles from Cinchona, along 
a level path—a rare luxury in these hills—brings one 
to Morce’s Gap, the most frequented pass over the 
main ridge. Rather more than half-way from Cin- 
chona to the gap, the somewhat scrubby growth 
covering the site of the old plantations gives place to 
evergreen dripping-forest of the most luxuriant de- 
scription. The dominant trees are for the most part 
thin-stemmed, and of moderate stature. They are set 
closely together, and the leaf-canopy overhead is very 
dense. Hence from the greater part of the interior 
of this forest sunlight is altogether excluded, and 
even the diffuse illumination is greatly reduced. The 
undergrowth is on the whole markedly hygrophilous 
in character. It is everywhere largely composed of 
shade-loving ferns. In every respect, indeed, ferns 
constitute a very important and conspicuous element 
on the forest flora. Alsophilas, Cyatheas, and Hemi- 
telias rear their splendid crowns of foliage on stems 
30 or 4o ft. in height. Lomarias and Davallias 
climb high on the tree trunks, or straggle over 
the bushes. On the steep slopes are groves of the 
remarkable Lophosoria pruinata, or impenetrable 
thickets of Gleichenia. The numerous small stony 
gullies harbour many forms of special interest, such 
as Marattia alata, Danaea alata, and Pteris podo- 
phylla. Among the rich and varied epiphytic flora of 
these woods ferns likewise play no mean part, the 
Hymenophyllaceze in particular being represented by 
many exquisite forms. The phanerogamic under- 
growth, in so far as it consists of shrubs, is particu- 
larly rich in Rubiacez and Melastomacee; the com- 
monest herbs are species of Peperomia and Pilea. 
Climbers are fairly plentiful, but few of them are 
woody, a notable exception being Marcgravia umbel- 
lata, old stems of which attain a very considerable 

