212 Foreign Notices : — West Indies. 



(i. e. Zea Mays). On another plantation, again, Charlottenberg, the seed was 

 sown early in March, and received a top dressing in the course of a few days : 

 it had already sprung three inches above ground ; and, as favourable moderate 

 rains continued to fall subsequently, the corn throve well, and ripened in the 

 early part of June, producing abundantly grain of a larger size than the parent 

 seed ; the ears being, in general, large and full. Six of these, for instance, yielded 

 336 grains, weighing three ounces ; making an average of 56 grains, weighing 

 half an ounce, to each ear. The owner of this plantation, Mr. W. B. King, an 

 assistant judge of assize, and member of assembly, has since sent me two 

 bundles of the ears of his wheat ; and I intend to enclose one or two of them as 

 a specimen of the produce of the Victoria wheat here. From a trial just made, 

 Mr. King has no doubt that this grain could be cultivated in many parts of this 

 island, and that it might become a profitable resource." 



I have no time to comment upon this, farther than to observe, that, besides 

 furnishing a practical refutation of a vulgar and pernicious error, it opens a field 

 to much curious and valuable speculation. From the similarity of climate, I 

 conceive that, if any wheat was likely to succeed, the Victoria held out the best 

 chance, and, accordingly, sent an ample supply by different channels. The ex- 

 periment having so far triumphantly succeeded, and Humboldt's period, of from 

 70 to 74 days between seed time and harvest, having been in every instance 

 verified, it will be worth while to try other varieties of wheat j and, if any of your 

 correspondents will supply me (post free) with samples of the most approved 

 sorts of wheat, I shall gladly transmit them to Jamaica. I regret that Dr. Bancroft 

 has omitted the dates of sowing and ripening, the elevation above the sea, and 

 the mean temperature of the months during which the wheat was growing. 



The Trifolhan incarnatiim, of which I sent out several supplies of seed, has 

 succeeded admirably at Charlottenberg, at an elevation of 4000 ft., where it has 

 grown and flourished luxuriantly, and has since produced seed. At Fair Hill, 

 in the mountains of St. Andrew's, a considerable patch, which was planted at 

 an elevation of about 2000 ft. above the sea, after flourishing well for a few 

 weeks, was destroyed by the occurrence of a long drought. In an island 

 where fodder is so scarce as in Jamaica, this plant promises to be of much 

 importance. 



O'xalis crendta. The climate appears to be too hot and dry for the O'xalis 

 crenata: further experiments, however, may exhibit more favourable results. 



The Pita does not appears to realise my expectations, either from the un- 

 suitableness of the soil, or the want of humidity, or other causes, which, at this 

 distance, I am unable to ascertain. Could I personally visit that part of the 

 province of Carthagena in which it grows spontaneously, I should be able to de- 

 termine the circumstances essential to its culture ; in point of climate,, that of 

 Jamaica must correspond closely with its own. On this point, however, I antici- 

 pate favourable reports. Dr. Bancroft has sent me a few seeds of the Cheno- 

 podium Qiibioa from Quito ; and of a plant called Tomata de Arbal, said to be 

 a native of the equator, but the seeds of which he received from the alpine 

 regions of Antioquia, where its fruit is used in cookery, like the true tomata 

 (Lycopersicum edule), and is also considered as a very palatable food when 

 eaten by itself. 



Dr. Bancroft says the name of tree tomata {Tomata de Arbal) is given to it, not 

 from any affmity it bears (as far as he could learn) to the genus iS'olanum, but 

 from the analogous use of its fruit : from the appearance of the seed, however, 

 and a leaf which he sent me, I suspect it will prove to be a iSolanum, and, pos- 

 sibly, the iS*. quitense ; only that the leaf sent (nearly 8 in. long by 4 in. broad) 

 is oblong-ovate, acuminated, very entire, hearted at the base, with the lobes un- 

 equal, and overlapping the midrib; contrary to what is usual, waved, together 

 with the primary veins. This, however, may be the effect of bad drying ; Dr. Ban- 

 croft saying " it was not properly pressed when first gathered, and it has, con- 

 sequently, shriveled in length and breadth, being at least one inch shorter than 

 at first." The leaves of the S. quitense are, I believe, lobed. Dr. Bancroft says, 

 " To what genus or order it may belong, I cannot at present tell. I am informed 



