6 



Micliaels, tangerine and mandarin. In after years thousands of grafted 

 plants of this St. Michaels, and seedlings also of the tangerine and 

 mandarin were distributed all over the island. A large tank was made 

 for the cultivation of the Victoria regia, which has been growing there 

 ever since. 



This was a period of great importance in the history of the develop- 

 ment of the public gardens. In 1868 the government undertook to 

 plant out in coco-nuts the narrow sandy strip of land, known as the 

 Palisades, with Port Royal at one end, forming a natural breakwater 

 for the magnificent harbour of Kingston. The first clearing and plant- 

 ing was done early in 1869, and by 1879 nearly 20,000 coco-nut palms 

 had been planted out, and 700 of them were bearing fruit. In 1870 

 £1,800 was voted for the establishment of a garden in the Parade 

 square of Kingston, and in 1871 £2,267 w^ere voted for continuation of 

 the work. This sterile waste in the centre of the city about seven 

 acres in extent, Mr. Thomson reports in 1871, was enclosed with a 

 handsome iron railing. In 1871 the governor ordered that : 



In an appropriate quarter of the garden at Castleton space should be re- 

 served for every species of cane procurable, so as, if possible, to afford 

 specimens of every true, distinct, and permanent variety known. The bo- 

 tanical garden of Jamaica should not be behind any garden in the world 

 in regard to specimens of this particular sort of plant. 



The governor applied to Mauritius and Martinique for specimens of 

 all varieties of cane grown there. Over sixty varieties of sugar cane 

 were received in 1872 and 1873 from Mauritius, and the salangore 

 from Martinique. 



In Sir J. P. Grant's report in the Blue Book for 1871, published in 

 the Gazette, October 1872. he says : 



The Bombay grafted mangoes, planted three years ago, are in a thriving 

 condition, and from eight to nine feet high. I do not doubt that the finest 

 varieties of this almost unequalled fruit will thrive here quite as well as at 

 Bombay. The plant has naturalised itself here in the course of only ninety 

 years, and now spreads itself self-sown over large tracts in all parts of the 

 island. As the propagation has been exclusively from seed, it is surpris- 

 ing to find amongst these wild trees so many bearing fruit at all eatable, 

 which I think could not be the case were not the climate and soil very pro- 

 pitious for this plant. The quantity of fruit produced is remarkable, and 

 it is greedily devoured by horses, cattle, and swine. With vessels running 

 in six days to New York, the commercial value of an orchard of fine Bom- 

 bay mangoes near Kingston would surely be very great. 



Mr. Thomson in his report for 1873, referring to these mango trees, 

 points out that : 



Although the climate of Castleton is extremely favourable for the growth 

 of these plants, the reverse is the case so far as the production of fruit is 

 concerned. As soon as possible, however, a small plantation of these va- 

 rieties will be established at the proposed garden at Hope, which, wtth its- 

 far drier climate, is probably as good a locality as any in the West Indies^ 

 for the production of this fruit. 



