225 



" Burke is better educated than the other boys and can now write labels 

 ^nicely ; he can propagate fairly well and is very useful in many ways. 

 " Murray is rather slow but very neat fingered ; he is perhaps the best 

 budder of all. 

 " Keid takes great interest in the grapes. 



" Burke and Murray are both anxious to be apprenticed, and Reid is 

 also anxious to continue in the gardens after his term expires." 



Correspondence. The number of letters received — 2,899 ; the number of 

 letters despatched — 3,581. 



The elevation of the Garden above sea-level is 600 feet. 



The average annual mean temperature is 70°4 F., and the average annual 

 rainfall 52.55 inches for 14 years. 



The amount of rain that fell during the year was 52.43 inches. 



January, February and March were the driest months, and May and 

 •October the wettest. 



The mean temperature was 75 Q 4 F. The meteorological tables for the 

 different months are given in Appendix V, page 246. 



CASTLETON GARDENS. 

 The following Report is by Mr. E. Campbell, for nine months from April 

 lo December : — 



" Four drums containing about ten hundred weight of Albert's concen- 

 trated Horticultural Manure were procured, and two drums were put out on 

 ,the rose beds, croton borders, special trees, pot plants, etc. 



"The largest Amherstia got a good supply of the Albert's manure and 

 the tree has improved considerably. For the last four years I have given 

 this tree my special attention but it has never shown such a vigorous 

 growth as now. 



" Several of the smaller palms in the Palmetum have also been sup- 

 plied with this manure with good results. 



" Several large holes were dug about the Palmetum and planted with 

 Borassus Palm seeds. 



" A new path, 16 chains long has been made. It commences at the 

 water lily tank, then up through the old cocoa field, crosses the spring 

 and runs along the hill-side overlooking the lily tank and palmetum, it 

 then turns downwards ending at the crossing of the spring by the nur- 

 sery and fernery. All the walks throughout the garden have been kept 

 constantly weeded and raked and gravel put on them. 



" In the lower garden a new drain has been made to carry off rain water 

 which damages the walks, all other drains throughout the gardens have 

 also been cleaned out. 



" In the }ear 1886 a number of orange and lemon plants were imported 

 from Messrs. Rivers and Son, England, which did not grow well. Six- 

 teen of the oranges were removed to a better place to the best end of the 

 lower garden near the new pinery and they were planted with plenty of 

 manure and even in two months time they made good growth. 



"One hundred Liberian coffee plants have been planted out near the 

 old field, and one acre of land on the hillside was prepared and is also 

 being planted with Liberian coffee. 



" A number of plants of the West Indian Dragon's Blood (Pterocarpus 

 Draco) have been propagated, also 500 Sarsaparilla. 



" The following plants have been planted out in the Garden. 

 2 Kigelia pinnata, DC. 

 2 Brosimum alicastrum, Sw. 

 2 Lucuma mammosa, Gaertn. f. 



Nearly all tbe Ramie plants at Castleton have been forwarded to Hope. 



