1897 | PUBLIC GARDENS AND PLANTATIONS OF JAMAICA 355 
ee quented by the poorer classes of people residing in the immediate vicinity, 
: there is no place of the nature of a park in the island. In the neighborhood 
‘ of every tropical city it is very necessary to have a public park provided 
with seats and ample shade trees where the people can for a time, at least, 
escape from the heat, and glare, and dust, and where they come into contact 
with some of the fresh invigorating influences of nature. 
The cost of laying out a park at Hope in conjunction with the experi- 
mental cultivation of fruit trees and nurseries of economic plants would be 
about £4,000 to £5,000. 
The governor, Sir Henry Norman, commenting upon this 
view of the future of Hope, wrote: 
As regards the Castleton and Hope nursery gardens, it will be seen that 
there isa tendency rather to increase the usefulness of the latter than the 
former, and considering the inconvenient situation of Castleton this seems 
right. Measures may be taken from time to time to improve the Hope 
gardens, but I am not prepared to recommend outlay from public funds for 
the construction of a park at the Hope. It is situated five miles from Kings- 
Soy ton, which is too great a distance to allow of the poorer classes of the popu- 
ae lation enjoying the benefits of the proposed park. 
The scheme proposed now to connect Kingston and Hope 
gardens by an electric tramway with cheap fares removes the 
objection that the poorer classes of Kingston would not be able 
to make use of it. 
Dr. Morris left Jamaica in March 1886 to take up an appoint- 
ment as assistant director of Kew gardens. Sir H. Norman then 
referred to a committee of the legislature the consideration of 
the condition of the department, and the provision to be made 
for its maintenance in the future. The committee submitted a 
Teport, which was adopted by the council in October 1886. In 
it the committee state that they 
aes Fully recognize the importance to a purely agricultural colony of an 
= ‘Organized department for the giving of reliable and authoritative information 
(Ja matters Gog agriculture and cultivation and for the dissemination of such 
aig . The importance of this is specially enhanced at the present 
time when the depressed condition of our staple products in the markets of 
the worlc ‘suggests not only the application of all means of science and inven- 
nee ts pes rere Poet ne more economical production, but also the 
£ those so-called minor products for which 
OL sUNCalitu 
