183 



As far back as 1856, my father made strong and repeated represen- 

 tations to the Governor, and Executive Committee of the House of 

 Assembly for a better and more adequate site for a Botanical Garden 

 worthy of the Island ; as a result of thesa appeals, a site was selected 

 by Mr. Parry, (I believe), at Oastleton, and my father was requested, 

 in September, 1859, to visit and report on the general suitable aess of 

 the place. 



The report was favourable as to soil and climate. Clearing the land, 

 &c, commenced about the end of 1860, or early in 1861. In 1862, 

 some doubt appears to have arisen as to the desirability of the spot 

 selected in view of its distance from Kingston A Committee was ap- 

 pointed " to take evidence on oath, and enquire into the expediency 

 of continuing the formation of a Botanic Garden on the site recently 

 selected." 



After evidence had been 'taken, the Committee appears to have been 

 satisfied, and the work wasVproceeded with. 



An Estimate of the probable expense of the formation and comple- 

 tion of the Garden, including a Nursery for supplying the Island with 

 plants, was sought and obtained from my father. 



The total Estimate amounted to £2510 15s. 4d., plus some items, 

 the cost of which he could not very well estimate. 



In 1860, the British Government, acting on the advice of His 

 Grace the Duke of Manchester, instructed the Royal Botanic Gar- 

 dens at Kew to obtain plants and seeds of the Cinchona from Ecuador 

 in order to establish a Quinine Plantation in Jamaica. 



The plants and seeds duly arrived, and my father was successful in 

 growing them, first at Bath and the a at Cold Spring ; this experiment* 

 he reported as having succeeded beyond his expectations. 



In 1862, the Cinchona Plantation was established at Mount Essex. 

 Three acres were first established with Cinchona in a healthy and 

 thriving condition, consisting of three distinct sp3cies, viz : — C. suc- 

 cirubra, C. nitida, and C. micrantha. This was the first step to es- 

 tablishing the Plantation. 



In July 1862, Mr. Robert Thomson was employed as Assistant 

 Botanist. 



Great attention was given by my father to textile and economic 

 plants, and a great number of them were introduced into the Island 

 during his tenure of office as Island Botanist. Among the fibrous 

 plants he introduced were : — Boehmeria nivea, or Cainase Grass 

 Cloth, various species of Sanseviera or Bow String H^tnp of Ialia, 

 Corchorus olitorius or Jute Fibre of India, Musa textilis, which pro- 

 duces the Manila Hemp, — this latter he strongly advocated being 

 given a fair trial in the Island on account of the diversity of its uses : 

 he had " but little hesitation in saying that a branch of industry 

 more inexpensive, profitable, and better suited to the country and 

 habits of the people dees not exist than the cultivation of fibrous 

 plants which are a source of wealfch to other nations, and surely merit 

 a fair trial here where nature leaves but little to do in the way of 

 maturing the plants." 



* Experiments were made at places of different altitudes, Cold Spring being one 

 of them. 



