14 



an elevation of 1,540 feet. There is a Hill Garden at Hakgala at an elevation of 5,000 feet. In 

 addition to these gardens there are three others at different elevations and with varying climates. Dr. 

 Trimen, the Director, in a paper read before the British Assotiation, says, " no other British Colony 

 possesses so complete a system of botanical and experimental gardens as Ceylon ; and I may add that 

 their sites have been determined on the principle that each of the climatic districts which I have 

 passed in review should be represented." 



In a country that has not the same range of elevations, and consequently of climate, there may not 

 be the same necessity as in Ceylon or Jamaica for many gardens, but in both these Islands there are 

 great differences of climate, and therefore not only a possibility but a necessity for various cultures. 



First, as regards elevation I lately consulted Mr. Thomas Harrison, late Surveyor General, on 

 the area at different elevations, and he has very kindly taken an immense deal of trouble in contour- 

 ing the whole Island, and then measuring the areas between each contour. The contours were very 

 irregular and crooked, and gave much labour in measuring, but Mr. Harrison thinks the result is 

 fairly accurate. He says, " the total area shows an excess of 14 square miles over the measurements 

 formerly given by me, and published in the Handbook : but those measurements were made 19 years 

 ago, and were prepared from a small map ; the present area is obtained from our recent maps and is 

 therefore more correct." The following is the table : — 



Elevations of the Island of J amaica. 





Below 1,000 feet. 

 Sq. miles. 



1,000 ft. to 2,000 ft. 

 Sq. miles. 



2,000 ft. to 3,000 ft. 

 Sq. miles. 



3,000 ft. to 4,000 ft. 

 Sq. miles. 



4,000 ft. to 5,000 ft. 

 Sq. miles. 



5,000 ft. and up- 

 wards. Sq. miles. 



Total. 



Kingston 



6i 



1 











n 



St. Andrew 



59 



54 



27 



17i 



8 



I 



166 



St. Thomas 



135 



59 



35 



20 



14 



11 



274 



Portland 



94 



89 



40 



32i 



17 



12i 



285 



St. Mary 



110 



116 



19 



4 







249 



St. Ann 



85 



337 



54 









476 



Trelawny 



166 



135 



32 





• 





333 



St. James 



139 



90 



5 









234 



Hanover »,. 



161 



6 











167 



Westmoreland 



235 



73 











308 



St. Elizabeth 



335 



120 



"V 









462 



Manchester 



42 



134 



126 









302 



Clarendon 



314 



115 



45 









474 



St. Catherine 



336 



124 



10 









470 





2,217i 



1,452| 



400 



74 



39 



24 



4,207i 



Judging from elevation alone, inasmuch as about half the total area of the Island is above the 

 contour of 1,000 feet, under which nearly all the more important agricultural operations have hitherto 

 been carried on, it would appear that those who are engaged in cultural industries above this limit 

 have a right to demand that half the number of gardens should be situated above that contour, in- 

 stead of there being only one as against four below it, besides the remnant of the fine old garden at 

 Bath. In addition to the present Hill Garden, there ought to be one at about the elevation of 2,000 

 feet to represent what may be termed the zone of oranges ; for there are numerous plants like the 

 orange, citron, pistachio, peccan-nut, liquorice, and caper, which cannot advantageously be subjected to ex- 

 perimental cultivation either in the Hill Garden or in any of the lowland gardens. The area between the 

 contour of a 1,000 feet and 3,000 feet amounting to 1,852 square miles has not yet been developed to 

 anything but a very limited extent, except for coffee, — nor has anything been done towards that deve- 

 lopment by means of a garden. 



Besides elevation, an important element in plant growth Is the rainfall. Where the rainfall is 

 copious and constant in the tropics, there vegetation is luxuriant, and consequently such areas should 

 be selected for the sites of the principal botanical gardens. 



The Garden at Castleton (with 110 inches of rain at 580 feet above the sea), and the Hill Garden 

 at Cinchona (with 105^ inches at 4,907 feet) fulfil tha requirements of Botanic Gardens in the matter 

 of abundant rainfall, and if another were to be added at some intermediate elevation, the most suitable 

 locality would probably be somewhere in the high lands of the western part of the Island, rather than 

 in the eastern where all the gardens arc situated at present. 



