8 



a command of cuttings for subsequent propagation, the area occupied by 

 these being about five acres. 



But water failed often and there was disappointment. Some fifty 

 plants of teak were set out at Hope in 1874, and 500 plants more in 

 1875. About ten acres were tbus planted with teak. 



Mr. Thomson retired on pension in 1878, and in December, 1879, 

 the gardens and plantations were constituted a department under Mr. 

 Daniel Morris as director. The management of the gardens and 

 grounds attached to King's House, the residence of the Governor, was 

 now placed under the department. Dr. Morris, in his report for 1885, 

 refers to the future development of Hope nurseries. 



The only drawback to this locality as a site of a botanic garden is the 



smallness and precarious nature of the water supply Although 



sufficient for the nurseries this water supply is wholly inadequate to main- 

 tain a large area, such as a botanic garden must necessarily be, under per- 

 petual cultivation, unless a system of reservoirs and tanks were introduced 

 for the storage of water. 



The Hope plantation might, however, be greatly extended in the direc • 

 tion of growing and distribuing economic plants, and in this respect the 

 establishment would prove of great service to the island. As circumstances 

 permit, this work will be transferred as much as possible from Castleton, 

 leaving the latter to supply only the districts in communication with the 

 main trunk road and the north side. 



The lands adjoining the Hope nurseries, about 100 acres in extent, 

 might be cleared and laid out as a public park, with grass lawns and shade 

 trees, and afford a convenient and healthful resort for the inhabitants of 

 Kingston and Half Way Tree. At present, persons driving along any of 

 the hot, dusty, and dreary looking roads leading out of Kingston have no 

 place where they could get out of their carriages and enjoy a walk under 

 shade. With the exception of the Parade garden, Kingston, which is 

 largely f requented by the poorer classes of people residing in the immediate 

 vicinity, there is no place of the nature of a park in the island. In the 

 neighbourhood of every tropical city it is very necessary to have a public 

 park provided with seats and ample shade trees where the people can for 

 a time, at least, escape from the heat, and glare, and dust, and where they 

 come into contact with some of the fresh invigorating influences of 

 nature. 



The cost of laying out a park at Hope in conjunction with the experi- 

 mental cultivation of fruit trees and nurseries of economic plants would be 

 about £4,000 to £5,0u0. 



The governor, Sir Henry Norman, commenting upon this view of 

 the future of Hope, wrote ; 



As regards the Castleton and Hope nursery gardens, it will be seen that 

 there i.-< a tendency rather to increase the usefulness of the latter than the 

 former, and considering the inconrenient situation of Castleton this seems 

 right. ■ Measures may be taken from time to time to improve the Hope 

 gardens, but I am not prepared to recommend outlay from public funds for 

 the construction of a park at the Hope. It is situated five miles from 

 Kingston, which is too great a distance to allow of the poorer classes of 

 the population enjoying the benefits of the proposed park. 



