234 



Ginseng. — One hundred and twenty-five roots, and two ounces of 

 seed of Ginseng (Aralia quinquefolia) were received from Mr. George 

 Stanton, Apulia Station, U.S.A., in January lasc. The seed was sown 

 at Cinchona in a specially prepared bed, and the roots were planted in 

 four different places as follows : — 40 at Morse's Gap : 25 above New- 

 haven Gap : 25 below Newbaven Gap : 20 at Young Oak plantation 

 above St. Helen's Gap ; and 10 at Blue Mountain Peak. 



Five roots were dead when received. Ginseng is cultivated to 

 some extent in the United States and the roots are exported to China 

 where they find a ready market, and fetch from $2.00 to $4.00 

 per lb., according to size and quality- This root is highly esteemed by 

 Chinese physicians, who fancy that it resembles the human form, and 

 consider that it wards off all diseases, restores exhausted animal powers, 

 and makes old people young. It consequently has enormous value with 

 them, and is said to be sometimes worth its weight in gold at Pekin. It 

 is slightly bitter and aromatic, but of no repute amongst European 

 medical men. 



Resource Orange Grove. — The Vote for this Garden was re- 

 duced by one half and work was altogether suspended for several weeks 

 during the year. There are about 20 acres under cultivation, and ex- 

 tensive Nurseries ; the money allowed was not sufficient to keep the 

 Grove and Nurseries in good order, and altogether we were crippled 

 through want of means. 



There are about 2^ miles of wire fencing and 1^ miles of roads to 

 maintain; and the Grove requires constant care and attention even to 

 keep the weeds down. 



Manuring. — During the year all the young trees were manured, 

 and the soil round each was forked several times and kept open. Cow 

 peas and Congo peas were grown as green manuring, and were forked 

 into the soil with beneficial results. 



Budding. — The work of budding was carried on during the greater 

 part of the year to enable us to determine which are the best months to 

 perform this operation. So far as our experience goes, buds put in 

 during July and August were the most successful though we find that 

 budding may be done with a fair amount of success during about nine 

 months of the year, omitting the months of May, October and Novem- 

 ber when heavy rains usually fall. On the other hand, drought of long 

 duration has a very injurious effect on young buds, and unless they are 

 particularly plump, and the stock plants are in a vigorous condition, 

 they are unable to hold out against two or three weeks of dry 

 weather. If it can possibly be arranged, it is best to bud, in the hills 

 at any rate, during fine weather when occasional light showers fall. 



Insect Pests. — Scale-insects have given some trouble, and the most 

 effectual remedy tried so far is the Kerosine and Soft Soap mixture re- 

 commended in the Bulletin for December 1898, page 271. Black ants 

 are also very troublesome at times, and although various methods have 

 been employed to drive them away, nothing has been so successful as 

 the Bitterwood solution recommended in the Bulletin for Jany. 1896, 

 page 12. Several sprayings or dressings with this solution may be 



