162 
CLIV.—BOTANICAL STATION AT LAGOS. 
- Partieulars respecting the establishment and progress of this, the 
first Botanical Station on the West Coast si Afric ica, have already been 
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given i ew 
The following letter recently received Lo the Curator, Mr. MeNai 
. gives interesting information de cti some of ‘fe ' plants adet 
experimental cultivation at Lagos 
DEAR d Botanic Station, — 6th eam 1890. 
(Tectona cin planted wt es ye ago are 20 feet in height, 
and 9 inches circumference at 2 feet above the ground. This 
value sicher EN is vadis fees ara extensively in West 
Africa. The Coca shrub (Erythrorylon Coca) grows very freely. It 
attains the size of a coffee tree and could be cultivated, if necessary, on 
& large scale. The Honduras Mahogany ( Swietenis Mahagoni), now 
nearly two years old, are trees 12 feet high, and 7 inches in circu 
ference at 2 fect from the uei The Divi-divi plants (Canines 
coriaria), sent me from Kew 21 years ago, are now fine spreading trees. 
The Liberian Coffee trees in the garden, at two years old, are now in 
fruit, ecce in spite of the dry seasons offer great hopes of success. Iwas 
Feyphán cotton. They are all planted on a small scale. It will be 
time before they fruit and yield a — of cotton. Usvally 
onth of January. I shall let yon know. later -about the 
Stati by the other plants. Some of the fruit trees at the 
we nies raised a large nine) of pl ts, and so f them have been 
used to form a hedge. All are doing well both bote pet in the town of 
Lagos. At the latter place some have been —: by crickets eating 
through the stem. The Chinese Ginger is y flourishing, and it would 
"The Wardian tase o plants reeeived from Kew through the Goverhor 
in March last arrived in very fair order, I am sorry to say the Black 
Pepper (Piper nigrum) and the Soap-bark ( Quillaia Saponaria) both 
died on the voyage. Iam now engaged in preparing a Wardian case of 
plants to be sent to Kew this month. 
I have, &c. 
The Assistant Director,  - James MoNaArn. 
Royal Gardens, Kew. 
