271 



Hope Gardens. 



Seven and a half acres are devoted to various economic plants, of 

 which three acres are under a collection of about 90 different varieties 

 of sugar canes; two and a quarter are devoted to the nursery, where 

 several thousand plants are always in stock ; about three and a quarter 

 are under ornamental borders ; and six under lawns. There are also five 

 or six acres under teak, and about twenty under pasture — making alto- 

 gether about forty acres, requiring constant care and attention. 



The question of the water-supply is always a source of anxiety. I 

 still recommend a trial sinking for water in the upper part of the Hope 

 lands as a source of supply for the Gardens ; and the formation of a 

 large reservoir in the form of an artificial lake where water lilies and 

 other aquatics could be grown. 



Trials in sinking a tube- well would perhaps cost £100, and might not 

 result in any water being found; but still when £120 per annum is 

 paid to the Water Works, and our supply is sometimes limited to eight 

 hours, with a possibility of its being cut off altogether, the speculative 

 outlay of £100 appears to me to be quite justifiable. If the Hope 

 Gardens, besides Kingston and the Liguanea plain, are to be efficiently 

 supplied with water, other sources besides the Hope and Wag Water 

 rivers must be laid under contribution. If an underground supply can- 

 not be tapped, then the narrow rocky gorge through which the Yal- 

 lahs river has cut its way near Windsor Lodge might be utilised for the 

 construction of a dam and the formation of a reservoir, whence water 

 might be taken by pipes to Kingston. A sufficiently high dam would 

 create a lake above it which would hold all the water that pours down 

 from the hills from the season's rain ; this would prevent the river 



coming down" and endangering life and property, do away with the 

 necessity of an enormously expensive bridge on the sea-coast road, and 

 relieve the danger of a large city like Kingston being left without water, 

 whilst it would release a large amount, now badly wanted, for the use 

 of Hope Gardens. 



My design for the formation of an artificial lake at Hope was mapped 

 out on the plan of the gardens that I drew up about 9 years ago. I 

 have lately had specifications prepared for about one-third of it. This 

 portion would cost, if made all at one time, £804 ; or if made in three 

 parts, one part a year, it would cost the first year £236, the second year 

 £415, and the third year £202. The capacity of this third part is 

 529,800 gallons ; the total capacity of the whole reservoir is 1,582,600 

 gallons. 



Castleton Gardens. 



Castleton Gardens, though small, is one of the most beautiful of Bo- 

 tanic Gardens. It has a fine collection of palms, and other tropical 

 plants, such as orchids and ferns ; and its situation on sloping ground 

 on the banks of the Wag Water river is most romantic. Several of 

 the overcrowded duplicate trees and shrubs have been removed, the 

 river bank has been opened up, new views obtained, and room allowed 

 for proper growth and expansion of the plants. 



On the economic side much attention is devoted to such plants as Li- 

 berian coffee and other species of the same genus, the Citrus fruits, 

 Vanilla, Black Pepper, Rubber plants, and such fibre plants as Ramie 

 and Manilla Hemp. 



