JAMAICA. 



BULLETIN 



OF THE 



BOTANICAL DEPARTMENT. 



"New Series.] OCTOBER, 1895. 



REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR FOR THE YEAR 

 ENDED 31st MARCH, 1895. 



The Royal Finance Commissioners in their Report stated that, " in a 

 purely agricultural country like Jamaica a well organized Department 

 of Gardens and Plantations is invaluable, not only for introducing and 

 propagating such plants as are most suitable to the climate and soil, but 

 also for the dissemination of the knowledge requisite to cultivate the 

 products of the island to the best advantage." 



This is the work which has occupied the Director and his staff of 

 trained Gardeners since the establishment of the Department by Sir 

 Anthony Musgrave in 1879. 



The first part of our duties is reported upon under the following head- 

 ings : — 



Cultivation of plants, and preparation of products for the mar- 

 ket. ... ... page 206 



Introduction of new plants and seeds. ... - 211 



Distribution of plants and seeds. ... " 212 



The second part is reported on under the following headings : — 

 Dissemination of information : — by correspondence, printed 

 matter, lectures and demonstrations, training boys in agri- 

 culture, herbarium and library. ... " 215 



In the Appendix will be found the reports of the Superinten- 

 dents with details of Garden work. ... ,, 219 



At Hope Gardens, seven and a half acres are devoted to various econ- 

 omic plants, of which three acres are under a collection of about 90 dif- 

 ferent varieties of Sugar Cane ; two and a quarter acres are devoted to 

 the Nursery, where several thousand plants are always in stock ; about 

 three and a quarter acres are under ornamental borders ; and six under 

 lawns. There are also five or six acres under Teak. 



Altogether there are about twenty acres that require constant unre- 

 mitting care and almost daily cultivation. It is absurd to compare the 

 work necessary in a Garden with field cultivation, and it is not just or 

 fair to make comparison of the expenditure in the two cases. 



The question of water-supply is one to which I. have called attention 

 on several occasions. In my Annual Report for the year ended Sep- 

 tember, 1887, I said that it was " advisable to try sinking the Egyptian 



Vol. II. 

 Part 10. 



