58 



The borders about the house are not in as good a condition as they 

 might be, for they are all filled with large trees and shrubs ; this is not 

 gardening for it is not possible to grow large trees and small shrubs 

 in the same border although there are exceptions amongst trees, say 

 the Guango tree. The inhabitants of Kingston and St. Andrews 

 would find gardening more of a pleasure than they do if they would 

 make a point not to have large trees, palms and small shrubs all trying 

 to grow in the same border. It is surprising what an amount of 

 drought a garden will stand if the ground be well dug and there are no 

 large trees about the borders. The borders about King's House are so 

 full of roots that they require daily watering to keep the smaller plants 

 alive. 



The lawns and verges have received all the attention needed in the 

 way of picking off small stones, weeding, rolling, manuring, &c. The 

 lawns laid down within the last three years have done well considering 

 the thirsty and poor soil that has to be contended with. The Lawns 

 that have been down for years are in a poor condition with the ex- 

 ception of the tennis-lawns, for with the roots and shade of large 

 trees most of the Bahama grass has died. The only thing that can be 

 done if good lawns are to be kept up is for the trees to be carefully 

 pruned, branches and roots, and the ground well trenched, manured 

 and replanted with Bahama grass. The conclusion arrived at from 

 practical observations and much consideration is that lawns and verges 

 in the Liguanea Plain should be dug up and replanted every four or 

 five years. This would be expensive at the time of replanting, but it 

 would be much less costly in the long run and would not take half the 

 labour to keep the lawns in better condition. There are now about 

 three acres of lawn here. 



There have been several different kinds of trees planted in this part of 

 the garden, all these trees have to depend on high cultivation, as that can 

 only be given when first planted, all the smaller trees in this part have 

 had the soil about them well trenched and manured ; this has a lasting 

 effect on them. 



The half acre of waste land north-east of King's House that was 

 added to the garden two years ago has been made into a rose garden. A 

 great deal of labour was spent on this garden as the ground had to be 

 raised 3 ft. in the centre and lowered 2 ft. at the north end to make the 

 ground almost on a level. 



The beds, verges and walks are all established, and it has made a 

 great improvement to this part of the garden. 



The parasitic Tillandsia (T. recurvata, Linn.) that infests trees in 

 the Liguanea Plain has been picked off the trees in the Arboretum, 

 the garden, and some of the trees in the pastures, as funds would allow. 



All the bush, &c, has been cleared away from a piece of ground 

 north-west of King's House and the same made into a Fernery. Twelve 

 creepers have been planted to run on the trees already there. A 

 fern-stand has been fixed up by the Public Works Department. 



The pot -plants, ferns, orchids, gathering flowers, &c, takes up ther 

 time of two men as there is a large number of plants and flowers 

 needed for King's House. 



