124 



sure. In a day or two, according to the more or less succulent nature 

 of the plants, or to the nature of the climate, remove them successively 

 into fresh papers till the moisture is absorbed, and dry the spare papers 

 in the sun or by a fire for future use. 



" When sufficiently dry, the specimens should be put into papers, one 

 sheet (more if the specimens be thick) between each layer of plants ; 

 and thus a great many may be safely arrauged in a small compass, and 

 are ready for transport covered with oil-cloth or packed in boxes. 

 Mosses and other cryptogamic plants may be generally dried in the 

 common way, those which grow in tufts being previously opened out r 

 so as to form neat specimens. Most seaweeds require a slight washing 

 in fresh water, and the more delicate kinds should be floated out on 

 sheets of writing paper before being subjected to pressure." 



INSTRUCTION IN THE CULTIVATION OF COCOA, 



COFFEE, &c. 



Hope Gardens, 7th May, 1895. 

 Mr. W. Cr ad wick to Director of Public Gardens. 

 Sir, 



I beg to forward herewith report on my lecturing tour in the Parish- 

 of St. Mary. 



April 30th, Tuesday : — Lectured at Quebec Plantation to 20 people, 

 including Mr. Simonds the Proprietor, demonstrated on pruning and 

 sowing seed, also pointing out the mistakes in Mr. Simond's plantation,, 

 the proper method of planting, the mischief of planting too close by 

 showing how the trees were destroying one another, the evil of jumbling 

 up coco-nuts, breadfruits, mangoes and other miscellaneous trees instead. 

 of planting regularly so that the trees might protect the cocoa. 



Visited Llanrumny, the property of the Honble. J. E. Kerr, in the" 

 afternoon, and practically demonstrated to the Overseer the evils of ne- 

 glecting the plantation while in a young state. 



Also visited Mr. Francis' ground, and showed him and six or seven 

 other people how to prune young cocoa and coffee, and strongly im- 

 pressed upon them the necessity for deep thorough cultivation, and the 

 proper draining of this rich and exceedingly fertile but rather heavy 

 soil 



My visit to this gentleman I consider one of the most opportune and 

 useful visits I have ever made. Between himself and his brothers they 

 appear to have to the best of their knowledge about 50 acres of excel- 

 lent land in bananas, all planted through with cocoa and coffee from 1^ 

 years to 3 years old, but from their ignorance of the proper methods of 

 treating heavy land, the use of the fork, the importance of drainage 

 and the proper way to plan the drains, also how to prune the cocoa and 

 coffee trees, the whole cultivation bids fair to be a perfect wilderness in 

 the course of two or three years. These men were very grateful for my 

 timely advice. 



May 1st., Wednesday; — Port Maria was on the itinerary for May 



