91 
269. Cacao cultivation has been largely extended of late years. 
The exports are still small so are ae increasing. The value 
of the exports in 1880 was 641/., in 1890 1 830/., while in 1896 
(in spite of excepticnally low prices) it reached 3 16 L. 
. Coffee and Spices are also being grown. The value of the 
spices, chiefly nutmegs and mace, exported in 1895 was 1,8127. 
BOTANIC STATION. 
[Amongst the eoa stations started in the West Indies (Kew 
enmity 1892, p. 90), there is none invested with so much interest 
he Station established in the island of St. Vincent. 
The object was to provide a small but efficient centre for 
propagating and distributing industrial plants, and to afford aid 
and information in regard to their cultivation i in suitable localities 
in the island. : The site of the station was that occupied by the old 
botanical garden of St. Vincent, begun so long ago as 1765. This 
was the first institution of the ‘kind started in the West Indies 
arden at Cayenne” (French Guiana), The 
Trinidad Botanic Senden appears to =e. been established a little 
before or about the time of the removal of some of the plants in 
the St. Vincent garden to Trinidad in May 1823. 
The history of the old botanic garden of St. Vincent is well 
gory ed. The most complete account of the institution is given 
y the Rev. Lansdown Guilding, B.A., F.L.S., who resided for 
ole years in the island, and who was well acquainted Wer its 
E fauna and flora. Mr. Guilding’ s botanical collect 1 the 
E ew Herbarium, and they were utilised in the shepatatlon 
* of the Flora of the British West India Islands by Dr. A. H. R. 
Grisebach, in 1864. Mr. Guilding’s account of the St. Vincent garden, 
published in 1825, is a quarto pamphlet with four colour ed. plates, 
dedicated to Sir William Hooker when Re egius jena! of Botany 
at Glasgow. The coloured plates consist of : (1) a view of the hope 
of the Superintendent ; (2) a view of the garden Dakos rom t 
Superintendent’s house in the direction of Kingstown ; (3) a view 
in the garden from the bottom of the centre walk or avenue ; 
(4) a diagram of the aoa “ane bp the original land and the 
additions made a few years 
The situation of the pag was a be eee rich valley, with a 
perennial stream running through It was less than a mile 
distant from Kingsto cots apia vi it was well adapted in 
every way for panaan pe cultivatio 
According to Guilding the oa was 39% acres in extent, 
and maintained entirely from Imperial funds. 
