14 



l)e abandoned. Fortunately this desponding wail has not bnee 

 generally supported in the island, nor acceded to by the government. 

 Six or seven years ago, Mr. Thistleton-Dyer, the director of Kew 

 gardens, gave it as his opinion that it was quite possible that the 

 Hill garden might again become the chief botanic garden of the island, 

 and this prophecy, unlikely though it might have seemed to most , 

 seems now in a fair way to become fulfilled, and to justify the faith of 

 the few. The garden ss situated about half way between Newcastle 

 and Abbey Green, and the elevation of the government property ranges 

 from about 3000 to 6300 feet, so that greatly varied experiments can 

 be made in cultures requiring different altitudes. 



The Hill garden, however, was not devoted solely to the cultivation 

 of cinchona. Vegetables have been grown and instruction imparted so 

 successfully, that all the settlers round for many miles grow such 



English" vegetables as peas, cabbages, carrots, turnips, potatoes, 

 artichokes, horse-raddish, cucumbers and beets. Tea has been grown 

 of a quality declared by London brokers to be excellent, and an order 

 has just been received from a planter for 1000 plants. Timber trees of 

 various kinds have been planted out and tended for years, and a know- 

 ledge gained of the capabilities of different trees for use in these hills 

 where nearty all the valuable timber has already been cut. The nur- 

 series at present contain some thousand of seedling trees. Fodder 

 plants have been under experiment as well as many different kinds of 

 economic plants, which will be taken up by planters in the near future, 

 such, for instance, as jalap, which sells at Is. 6d. per lb., orris root at 

 75 to 80s. per cwt., China grass, a variety of ramie which can only be 

 grown successfully in the hills, and realizes twice the price of the 

 tropical ramie, and fruit trees of temperate climates, and of high ele- 

 vation both in the new and old worlds. 



As this region is the best in the island for coffee, it is raasonable to 

 suppose that it is the best for oranges, since the soil requirements of 

 both are much the same. Although no tests have been made in com- 

 paring the oranges of Manchester with those grown here, many who 

 know both, declare in favor of those grown in the Port Royal moun- 

 tains where splendid fruit is produced at as high an elevation as 4100 

 feet. 



The government has very lately established an orange experimental 

 garden and nursery as part of the Hill garden establishment at an ele- 

 vation of about 3900 feet. A large number of budded and grafted 

 trees have been imported from Florida, and also from Rivers in Eng- 

 land, who supplied growers in Florida and California in the early days 

 of their groves. These are permanent stock trees, from which buds 

 will afterwards be taken for budding on Seville and lemon stocks. 

 Several thousand seedlings of the above stocks are being grown, also 

 of the Jamaica sweet orange, grape fruit, tangerine and shaddock. 



Olives have been grown in the island for many years, but so far no 

 fruit, nor even a flower, has been produced. It is probable that this 

 may be accounted for by their having been planted at too low an ele- 

 vation. Eighty plants of the variety frantojo, which yields an excel- 

 lent oil, have just been presented for trial by Lord Malcolm, of Knock- 



