1897 ] PUBLIC GARDENS AND PLANTATIONS OF JAMAICA 353 
Arrangements have been made to commence operations at Hope, 
with the view of establishing a pleasure garden and a small sugar cane farm 
for experimenting upon new varieties of canes. The climate of the Castleton 
garden is too humid for numerous species of plants, which will find a congenial 
home in the drier climate of the Lignanea. . .. The establishment of this 
garden, simultaneously with that on the parade, coupled with the greatly 
increased command of water in the course of being brought to Kingston, must 
undoubtedly constitute a new era in the history of horticulture in Jamaica. 
It was found advisable to secure the services of a skilled 
European gardener at Cinchona. Accordingly Mr. Nock arrived 
here in April 1874, from Kew gardens. He devoted attention 
to the cultivation of European vegetables, which he hoped to 
show may be successfully grown in great abundance and variety 
under our conditions of climate. Mr. Thomson says in 1875 
that: 
Mr. Nock has been very successful in producing an assortment of vege- 
tables such as are not grown elsewhere in the island. It is to be hoped that 
the peasantry will initiate the cultivation of similar vegetables, as these 
experiments show that at this height (5000 feet above the sea) almost all 
~Uuropean vegetables can be grown with advantage. 
These hopes have been fulfilled, for the peasantry now grow 
all kinds of “English” vegetables in the Hill gardens district- 
In 1876 a plantation of Liberian coffee was established at 
Castleton. With reference to the ‘‘ Hope experimental grounds,” 
Mr. Thompson wrote: 
It is about three years since the government obtained possession of 
upwards of 200 acres of Hope land, contiguous to, and for the most part 
under the level of the Hope reservoirs. The acquisition of this land afforded 
an excellent opportunity for experimenting upon the numerous new varieties 
of canes that had just been imported from the Mauritius botanic garden. 
While this matter was under consideration, it was also proposed that the 
beautifully situated land in question should be utilized in a variety of ways. 
Among other schemes it was proposed that, in consideration of the accessi- 
bility of this locality to Kingston, a pleasure garden should be formed for the 
inhabitants of that city. 
But the want of water prevented anything more being done 
than planting out a few canes, and forming a small nursery. 
The collection of new sugar canes, embracing some sixty varieties of new 
