342 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
curved, shady walk was made from the station under the big Vitex 
trees (fig. 191) to the Terrace, crossing the stream by diverging sections 
encirchng a small pond, made of its running water, and finally 
mounting the opposite slope to the main Road. A fence of edible 
lime was planted to enclose the garden on the south. Beyond this 
to the head of the valley the ground is left to grow its natural grass, 
used for grazing and fodder. Beyond the north boundary a forest 
has been planted — with the twofold object of increasing the rainfall 
and fuel supply — and an orange grove has been started with deep 
trenches to drain the swamp, and further developments depend upon 
more labour being forthcoming. The future holds the probability of 
bees and their accompanying field of clover being introduced, if clover 
can be persuaded to grow, and bees to survive the journey and accli- 
matize themselves ; also a hard tennis court, a lawn-tennis court, 
and the cultivation of, amongst other experiments, climbing roses, 
watercress, hydrangeas, begonias, maidenhair fern, and Selaginella, 
to take the place of moss in hanging baskets ; in fact, nothing which 
can ameliorate the conditions of life in Northern Nigeria is going to 
be left untried by this enterprising Medical Ofiicer. 
One of the serious lacks in European residence in Nigeria, as in 
most tropical climes, is continuity of interest. The bird-of-passage 
system is not conducive to this, and is therefore inimical to health ; 
yet the mind of the human being requires it in an accentuated form 
to compensate for the unnatural isolation from home surroundings. 
This the cultivation of the beautiful ever-growing garden supplies, 
this the seasonal sports supply, this the cultivation and anticipation 
of fruit and vegetable supply. It is nature's tonic to the strained 
nervous system. The fresh fruit and vegetables provide the purely 
physical need, and at the same time interest and mental focus are 
secured — a medical achievement of no small value. 
The garden has achieved more. 
It has far outgrown its original purpose. It has established itself 
as a self-supporting market. The Europeans contribute a fixed sum 
and receive regular daily supplies. All its heavy initial expense was 
from the Doctor's own pocket — the gift to humanity of the energy, 
thought, spare time, and money of the enthusiast. He began as an 
inexperienced amateur ; he is now generally recognized, after fourteen 
years' assiduous gardening work in the Northern Provinces, to be the 
outstanding amateur expert garden maker and cultivator of Nigeria. 
The garden has supplied an opportunity of watching an experiment 
in prison reform all unconsciously initiated; for prisoners to work 
under such beautiful surroundings must have its uplifting effect. It 
has provided health — through diet — and mental health through 
beauty, restful outlook, and continuous change and variety. It has 
provided the means of sociable recreation under unique conditions 
so valuable to colonial life. 
It has supplied a horticultural need and education to native and 
European alike. It is a great object-lesson to native chiefs and 
