1897] PUBLIC GARDENS AND PLANTATIONS OF JAMAICA 349 
I would most unhesitatingly say that a more congenial climate for the 
growth and propagation of plants is not to be met with in the island. The 
humidity of the atmosphere is proverbial and suitable to a peculiar degree 
for plants in general. 
= In 1856 the Sulphur river inundated the garden for the fifth 
time since 1848 and destroyed half an acre. These floods and 
the impossibility of extending the garden for the growth of 
a additional plants were constant difficulties with Wilson, and in 
e 1858 he says: 
€ attention of the executive has of late been pointedly directed 
towards it [the garden] with a view not only to place the establishment on a 
scale of permanent Abi ee but in a more central locality, accessible from 
all parts of the island . . The want of a more central and extensive 
es depot has long Bae felt, paca at the west end and north side of the 
island, where distance renders it impracticable to convey plants safely, and 
where industrial institutions and experimental gardens are springing up. 
In 1860 the legislature appropriated money for the purchase 
of Castleton, and Wilson was entrusted with the formation of a 
garden there, on the understanding, however, that the garden 
at Bath was to be maintained for supply of seeds to Castleton, 
and plants for general distribution. In his report for 1861, he 
States that Sir W. J. Hooker had sent out the previous year 
seeds of Cinchona succirubra, C. nitida, and C. micrantha, and that 
_ several hundred plants were ready for planting out. At this 
time the market price for succirubra bark was 6s. per Ib. In 
1862-63 an assistant to Mr. Wilson was appointed, Mr. Robert 
Thomson, and the formation of the garden at Castleton was 
commenced. 
Experiments were made in planting out cinchona in differ- 
ent parts of the Blue mountains, and at length in 1868, during 
_ the governorship of Sir John Peter Grant, the cinchona planta- 
tions were started under Mr. Thomson as ‘‘superintendent of 
ic gardens” in succession to Mr. Wilson. 
“Six hundred acres of virgin forest land were assigned for 
: 1g cinchona by Sir J. P. Grant on the southern slopes 
ie of the Blue mountains, ranging from 4000 to 6000 feet above sea 
; digas a yy neneemncnt of work was made in the same year 
