The Superintendent's house and out-offices have been painted on the outside, and the house now 

 requires painting and papering inside. 



The number of adult visitors, recorded in the Visitors* book is 592. 



The elevation of the Garden is lower than Hope Garden, being 580 feet above sea level. The 

 average rainfall is 110.01 inches, and the average mean temperature; 76.2° F. 



Hill Garden. 



The Cinchona Plantation was founded by Sir John Peter Grant. From the sale of bark, «S;c., the 

 receipts have been nearly £17,000 which has more than repaid the expenditure on Cinchona planting. 

 The experiment was of great promise for the Island, and if planting had been taken up 10 or 15 years 

 earlier by private individuals the history of the enterprise in Jamaica would have been very different. 

 Fortunes would have been made by those early in the field before the tremendous fall in the market 

 value of bark,, con sequent on the vast extension of the cultivation in India, Ceylon, and Java. 



However, the plantation involved the formation of a Garden at an elevation, contemplated by the 

 Government in the beginning of the century, — a " European Garden," necessary for the full develop- 

 ment of the resources of the Island. 



The Superintendent at the Hill Garden is Mr. Wm. Harris. 



The subject of fodder for the hill-country is engaging attention. Guinea grass {Panicum maximum) 

 is not altogether as successful as in the lowlands. There is need also for experiment on pasture 

 grasses. A grass from Northern India (Pennisetum trifiorum ) promises well as a substitute for guinea 

 grass. In the Hill Garden it grows well, attaining a height of 3^ to 4 feet ; it sends its roots deep into 

 the soil, and is therefore scarcely affected by drought ; while cattle and horses are fond of it. Ap- 

 plication has been made to the Botanic Garden, Saharanpur, for seed for a more extended trial here, as 

 well as in various spots in the Island. The Superintendent of t he Saharanpur Gardens has already sent seed 

 of thefollowing grasses:— Saccharum spontaneum, Pollinia eriopoda, Sorghum halapense, Cenchrus cathar- 

 ticus, JEleusine cegyptiaca, Setaria glauca, Panicum flavidum, Panicum sanguinale, Panicum ciliare, Eleu' 

 sine flagellifera, Elionurus hirsutus, Andropogon annulatus, and Andropogon pertusus. The following 

 only have grown : — Setaria glauca, Panicum flavidum, Panicum ciliare, Panicum sanguinale, Eleusine 

 ^agellifera, Elionurus hirsutus. Experiments will be made during the next year in other grasses and 

 clovers. 



In 1887, a few plants of the following trees were planted out in the St. Helen's field : Pinus Mas- 

 soniana, Cupressus macrocarpa, Thuja sp., and Podocarpus coriaceus. Of these Pinus Massoniana has 

 grown to an average height of 27 feet with a girth of 1 foot 9 inches at one foot from the ground. This 

 tree, the Chinese Pine Treo, is the one which has been so extensively planted in afforestation of the 

 bare hills of Hong Kong. Mr. Chas. Ford, the Superintendent of the Botanical Department, states in 

 a late Report — " The plantations already made are composed chiefly of the common pine, — a tree which 

 was found to be the best kind to commence the work of afforestation with. It is better suited to the 

 varied conditions under which it had to grow here than other trees yet tried, and its management be- 

 ing simpler than that of many other trees rendered it possible to deal T^ith it in vast numbers, — about 

 half a million trees being added yearly, — with a staff that in the early days consisted of raw coolies 

 only." Von Mueller says that, " the wood is durable, and, when well seasoned is much employed as 

 material for tea- boxes." This tree would be a valuable one for forest purposes in Jamaica, where the 

 primary object is to cover denuded surfaces. 



Oupressus macrocarpa, Californian cypress, averages 28 feet in height with a girth of 2 feet. This 

 is one of the fastest growing of all Conifers. It is a beautiful shade tree, and in California, attains a 

 height of 160 feet, and a circumference of 9 feet. Thuja sp. has attained a height of 15 feet. Podocav' 

 pus coriaceus, the Yacca, has grown to a height of 7^ feet. The wood is highly prized by Cabinet 

 makers. It does not grow with anything like the rapidity of the Cape Yacca {Podocarpus elongatus). 



Onion seed of the following kinds from Carter's were sown the last week of November, 1891, and 

 transplanted into prepared beds in the first week of March, 1892: — Denver's Yellow, Carter's Holborn, 

 Queen, Banbury, Tennis Ball, Golden Rossa, Golden Globe, Red Mammoth, White Emperor, Tripoli, 

 gtrasburg. As the soil is very poor, the beds into which they were transplanted, were well manured, 

 and afterwards top-dressed. The plants were strong and healthy, but only the following show signs 

 of bulbing : — Queen, Carter's Holborn, Golden Rossa, Tripoli, White Emperor, Golden Globe. 



A large part of the Experimental Garden has been taken up with experiments on peas, and the 

 results are published from time to time in the Bulletin. The experiments are not yet oomplete. 

 Messrs Jas. Carter & Co., have supplied the seed free of cost. Part of the crop was sold to Messrs 

 Aston Gardner, and part kept as seed for planting again, and for distribution. 



Strawberry seed obtained from the Royal Gardens, Kew, was sown in October, 1891. The varie- 

 ties were the following : — Royal Hautbois, Countess, White Alpine, Red Alpine, Dr. Hogg, Triomphe 

 d'Orleans, Lucas, and President. The last named did not germinate, but a large number of plants of 

 the rest were raised, and distributed to applicants in various parts of the Island. A bed of each kind 

 has also been planted in the Garden. In February of this year seeds of the following kinds were received 

 from Kew: — President, Waterloo, Hautbois, Vicomtesse H^ricart du Thury, Orescent Seedling, Sir 

 Charles Napier, and one kind without name. Only a few plants each of the following, however, 

 appeared : — Crescent Seedling, Sir Charles Napier, and Vicomtesse Uericart du Thury. 



Peach trees to the number of 400 were received from Mr. JohnB. Beach, Nurseryman, Melbourne, 



