299 



Sugar Canes. — Over 50 varieties of sugar cane from Hope Gardens 

 have been planted to ascertain which are the most suitable for hill culti- 

 vation. The tops will be distributed free to settlers in the district who 

 cultivate cane for making " new sugar." 



West Indian Cedar. — About 55,000 plants of this tree were raised 

 from seed, and the seedlings were duly transplanted and have grown 

 splendidly. These are now being given away to anyone who applies for 

 them. Already over 4,1)00 have been distributed. They have also 

 been planted along our fences where they will in a few years not only 

 clearly define our boundary lims, but will also become permanent 

 fence posts, and effect a considerable annual saving on the renewal of 

 posts. They will also materially increase the value of the property. 

 A large number of Juniper Cedar plants are also being grown for distri- 

 bution. 



Oreen Manuring. — Quantities of seeds of Cow pea, Soja bean, hairy 

 Vetch, Conga pea, Alfalfa, and other leguminous plants were sown 

 through the cultivated portions of the ground to serve as green manuring, 

 and to help to keep down the weeds that spring up everywhere after 

 each shower of rain. It will take years of patient weeding and culti- 

 vation to thoroughly eradicate the weeds, which have had full sway 

 here for over 25 years. 



Fodder plants. — Various kiods of grasses and other fodder plants are 

 under trial The Himalayan Grass grows most luxuriantly, and pro- 

 mises to be a great success. 



Teosinte. — A packet of seed of this magnificent fodder plant was 

 sown in April last. It produced stems ten feet high and flowered in 

 October. Towards the end of October, half the area grown was cut and 

 carefully weighed, when the yield was found to be at the rate of 44,000 

 lbs., or over 19^ tons of fodder per acre. Beyond being kept free from 

 weeds when in a young state, the Teosinte received no special attention. 



The plant is an annual, but readily reproduces itself on good land 

 from the seed shed. If cut when young, but not too short, the stubble 

 quickly springs again, and a second or even a third crop of green fodder 

 may thus be obtained. The fodder is greatly relished by stock. 



Bermuda Lily. — This beautiful lily is cultivated as a field crop in 

 the Bermudas, to supply English and American growers with bulbs, and 

 is a very remunerative industry. Mr A. H. Crane, an Americau who 

 has recently settled in Jamaica, imported 40,000 young bulbs in the 

 beginning of 1896. These were planted at Resource, being placed 8 

 inches apart in rows 1 8 inches asunder. The bulbs flowered all through 

 the summer months, and were a noticeable feature at fully a distance 

 of three miles from the field. The work of thoroughly cleaning and 

 preparing the ground and planting the bulbs entailed considerable ex- 

 pense, which was borne by Mr. Crane. 



In March, at the request of Mr. Crane, the bulbs in an average row- 

 were lifted and examined to see what pi ogress, if any, had been made. 

 There were originally 90 bulbs in this row, and when lifted and counted 



