295 



handled in this way, but have to be transferred to bamboo pots as soon 

 as they are big enough. 



At the end of the financial year there were in the nursery about 

 40,000 Liberian coffee plants, — seedlings and transplants, about 7,000 

 Eucalypti, about 4,000 Casuarinas, and 4,000 Kola. All the Kola were 

 already bespoken, only waiting for the season to be despatched. 



7,500 Grrape fruit seeds, 46,000 sweet orange seeds, and 15,000 

 Tangerine orange seeds were sown. Most of the seeds are growing 

 nicely. All the seeds are from tested selected fruits of the best quality 

 only ; any inferior fruit being thrown away. The propagation of plants 

 by other means than by seeds has also received attention. Roses which 

 have long been giving trouble are now being propagated by circum- 

 position, a plan which is perhaps a trifle slow but sure. The best 

 roses can be propagated in this way and good plants are produced. 

 There is no waste of wood, which is an important point as many of the 

 best roses if repeatedly denuded of wood, lose their vigour and soon 

 die. 



The stock of economic and ornamental plants in the nursery at Hope, 

 other than those already enumerated, is estimated at 35,000. 



With the large output of plants, the procuring of proper soil in 

 sufficient quantities to sow seeds, place cuttings in, and finally pot the 

 plants in, is an important item. The soil in which seeds or cuttings 

 are placed is soon considerably exhausted and needs recuperating by 

 the addition of good soil ; this soil has to be manufactured out of 

 grass, leaves and any vegetable rubbish. 



Several large trees with large ltaves have been removed from the 

 nursery with a view to encouraging the growth of Juniper Cedar, 

 Cassia siamea and other plants with smaller leaves, which will protect 

 the young nursery plants from the fierce rays of the sun, and the wind, 

 without at the sametime rendering them delicate by casting a dense 

 shade over them or damaging them by heavy drip after rains. Anyone 

 making a permanent nursery in the tropics would do well to take 

 note of this and only plant for shading young nursery plants such trees 

 as Juniper Cedar or Cassia siamea. 



A hedge of Aralia Guilfoylei and Cassia siamea has been planted on 

 the west side of the nursery for the purpose of forming a wind-break, 

 the Aralias prevent the wind from blowing between tie stems of the 

 Cassia as it grows tall. Cassia siamea trees in eight months have 

 grown to a height of 20 feet, and this with repeated stopping to make 

 them bushy. 



Economic Plants. — The nutmeg trees at Hope this year are carry- 

 ing a fair crop. The Liberian coffee trees have improved and bear a 

 nice crop of fruit, — 63 young trees have been planted out. The Cocoa 

 trees are growing and bearing well, the effects of careful pruning and 

 irrigation being very well illustrated. 



The fine trees of Ceylon Cinnamon bear a good quantity of seeds ; 

 some trees cut down have coppiced well, showing that the growth of 

 Cinnamon as an article of commerce is an easy matter. 



A small plantation of Arabian coffee has been made, consisting of 

 137 trees. The plants put out in October are all shooting up very 

 well, being planted through bananas. Provision has been made for 

 permanent shading by planting a tree of Grias cauliflora (Alligator 



