262 
The ADMINISTRATOR OF THE Gampra to ROYAL Garpens, Kew.. 
Government House, Gambia, 
Dear Sir, 9th October 1890. 
law sorry to say that my experiments have not been a success 
during the rainy season owing to an abnormal rainfall of 60 inches 
up to the present date as against 32 inches for the whole o t year, 
that is to say for 34 months. As a rule showers begin about the middle 
‘of June, but the heavy rains do not occur until a month later, during 
August and September there is more or less continuous rain but this 
is the end of it, and, beyond a few showers, there is seldom any more of 
consequence. 
On the 29th July 4:04 inches fell in two hours, and you can realise 
ecame a series of lakes. Ihada quantity of Castor oil plants down, 
but they all died. The Ceará rubbers have survived, but they threatened 
dissolution, and I very much feared for them. However, if they will 
stand this soaking and the long drought (which I know that they will 
lo) the tree will be a great acquisition to us. I have introduced them 
to Combo, where they are doing well, and 1 hope also to the Ceded 
Mile, but I have had no accounts from these yet. 
I planted two lots of Egyptian cotton, one in an enclosure under m 
own supervision and the other outside in the natural soil; the latter 
were in charge of the labourers who knew something of the culture of 
cotton on native principles. My own plants in the early stages developed 
splendidly, but when they commenced to flower, for some reason the 
leaves commenced to wither at the edges as if they had been burnt ; the 
unger shoots were attacked by Pyralide, and the pods when _ they 
formed got riddled by beetles. I doubt if I shall get a single matured 
sample of cotton to send you. 
The plants in charge of the men came up very weedy, and when they 
got to about 4 inches in height died off, but the soil is miserably . 
poor, and - cted any other result. I am sure nothing can 
be done with the greater portion of the Government House Grounds 
suit the tree. Two species of Bauhinia which I tried came up very ~ 
well, but failed at an early stage. ‘There is, however, a species which 
is common in Combo, but I am not sure which it is 
I understand that a Lendon firm is prepared to expend capital in an 
: 
besides plenty of ground fit for cultivation. It will have every en- 
couragement from me. I am quite sure tobacco would be a paying crop 
here if worked by someone who understood its culture. The rubber 
industry might be indefinitely extended. Besides the Ceará tree, 
