Junk i, 1881.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
65 
on their surface and having very little givre. These 
generally come from pods not quite ripe. 3rd, Vanillon, 
consisting of two varieties, both of which are short. The 
best are obtained from ripe fruit, and are covered with 
white crystalline efflorescence ; the inferior are obtained 
from abortive or unripe' fruits, and owe any odour they 
possess to having been in contact with tltose of better 
quality. 
A slightly different method of drying is adopted in 
other vanilla-growing countries. In Uuiana the pods are 
placed in ashes and left there ti l they begin to shrivel. 
They are then wiped, rubbed with o ive oil, tied at their 
lower end, and hung up to dry in the open air. 
[n Peru the vanilla is dipped into boiling water tied at 
the end, and hung in the open air ; after twenty days 
the pids are rubbed over w.th castor oil, and a few days- 
later arc pressed into bunches. — Colonies and Jnd a. 
JAMAICA PUBLIC GARDENS AND PLANTATIONS. 
Cinchona — Libkriax Coffee -Cocoa — Tobacco — Van- 
illa — Rubber — Jalap — Coconuts. 
We have received the annual report on these gardens 
for the year ending 30th .September 1S80. With 
regard to the distribution of plants, Mr. Morris 
Says v— 
In the distribution of Economic Plants from the 
Public Gardens, in addition to several thousand Cin- 
chona seedlings and plants distribived from the Cin- 
chona plantations, new Sugar Canes, Fruit trees, Banana 
and Pine-apples from the Hope, and Coconut plants 
from the l'alisadoes plantation, some 26,937 plants, 
including Trinidad Cacao, Nutmeg, Clove, Cinnamon, 
Liberian Coffee and Vanilla, have been distributed 
from the Botanic Gardens at e astleton. The total 
distribution during the past year is estimated at an 
aggregate of nearly one-hundred-thousand plants of 
economic value. 
There have also been exchanges of plants and 
seeds with private persons and public gardens, the 
latter including ours at Peradeniya. Iti9 stated that 
In exchanges maintained with Botanical Institutions 
and Gardens abroad, 753 packages and 8 boxes of seed, 
9 wardian cases, and 1 box of plants have been re- 
ceived ; the latter containing 356 plants of economic 
value. In return, this Department has forwarded 10 
Wardian cases of Plant?, 6 boxes and 3 casks of Seed, 
and an aggregate of 874 packets of Seed weighing 376 
pounds. Six Wardian cases, containing nearly 500 
Plants, were forwarded to the new Botanic Gardens, 
Demerara. Several cases of Mahogany and Guango Seed 
were despatched to India and Java ; and numerous 
packages of Cinchona Seed were forwarded to applic- 
ants in India and Ceylon. 
A scientific catalogue of all the plants in the public 
gardens is in course of preparation, and meanwhile 
Sir. Morris gives in an appendix to his report a 
list of the most interesting trees, shrubs, fruit 
trees, economic and medicinal plants, with their 
English and botanical names. Mr. Morris says : — 
The public are kept well informed, by periodical 
notices in the local pipers, what plants are available 
for distribution, at any particular season, and 1 am glad 
to find that, by these means, a considerable impulse 
has been given to the distribution of valuable economic 
plants, which cannot fail to be permanently beneficial. 
The year was in many respects unfavorable for 
planting operations, the unusual rains of October 
LS79 being followed by a comparative drought. At 
the cinchona plantations the rainfall was 50 inches 
baa than in the previous year— 128'15 against 17740. 
Before the country had had time to recover from the 
conditions brought about by these circumstances 
eame the hurricaue of August, which did great damage 
to coffee properties, to bananas and fruit-trees, and 
to agricultural produce generally. Notwithstanding 
Hiis, however, Mr. Morris Bays, 
After the lapse of only a few mouths there are indica- 
tions of a return to the normal conditions of agri- 
cultural pursuits ; the Coffee crop, now being gathered, 
is expected, in many districts, to be a good average; 
the fruit trade ii rapidly recovering and with the 
great activity generally displayed by the peasantry in 
opening up and replanting their banana and provision 
grounds, it may, naturally, be 'hoped that with a few 
sea-onable sbow'ers in the earlier months of the year 
there will be a renewal of favourable conditions among 
all agricultural interests. 
He then relates how the cinchonas damaged by the 
hurricane were utilized, and adds: — 
The successful harvesting and utilization of Cinchona 
Bark appears, therefore, to be in a great measure in- 
dependent of times and seasons, and this experience 
may well commend itself to all Coffee planters in the 
Island; suggesting the advisability, if not the absolute 
need, of combining Cinchona with Coffee cultivation, 
wherever they can be successfully pursued; thus utiliz- 
ing the stability and certainty of the one, as com- 
pensating for any unfavourable conditions that may 
arise in the other. 
Each garden is then reported on separately, first 
coming the C'astleton gardens, <>f which we read : — 
It is satisfactory to learn that although the loss to 
the gardens in valuable Economic trees &c. destroyed 
by the late hurricane was very great, particularly, in 
Clove, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Trinidad Cacao, &c. , very 
lew species have been entirely lost, and the damage will, 
it is hoped, be remedied in a few favourable seasons. 
The debris resulting from the storm, was cleared away 
by means of the ordinary labour of the Garden and 
without additional grants and Mr. Syme reports "that 
although the grounds present a somewhat open and 
ventilated appearance they probably look as well as 
they have ever done before." During the past year, 
the principle of charging certain fixed, but reasonable, 
prices for the valuable Economic plants distributed 
from these gardens, has been attended with such success, 
as to fully justify its adoption. Not only has a larger 
number of plants been actually distributed, but they 
have been taken up by persons thoroughly in earnest 
about their cultivation, and likely to give them every 
care and attention. The total number of plants dis- 
tributed during the year from, this Garden amounts 
to 26,937, as against, 24, 111, distributed in the year 
187S-79 ; the different kinds were repre-ented as 
follows : — 
Trinidad Cacao ... 7,180 Liberian Coffee ... 953 
Nutmeg ... S00 Sweet Orange ... 9,074 
Clove ... 436 Vanilla ... 239 
Cinnamon ... 145 Palms, Orchids, &c. 8,110 
Rainfall— 104 inches. 
Next comes a long report on the cin hona plantations, 
of which Mr. Nock says: — 
" During the year 1879-80 about 50,000 Cinchona 
plants have been set out in their permanent places. Of 
these about 43,000 were ( '. officinalis ; ( : ,000 of C. 
Calisayal and 1,000 C succirybra. 
A summary is given of the various sub-divisions oi 
the cinchona plantations, as follows: — 
1. Lower Latimer. — 4,800 feet to 5,500 feet ; about 
30 acres, originally planted in 186S. with Red bark 
(C. succirubra) at distances of from 10 to 12ft. apart. 
The majority of these trees were uprooted for the bark 
crops of 1S7S-79 and 1879-S0. A few trees only are 
left, and these are preserved for seed. It is proposed 
to replant this area, with good kinds at distances ot 
4ft. by 4ft. 
2. Upptr Latimer :— 5,330 feet to 5,900. feet; an 
irregular patch of about 25 acres, very widely planted 
witli the Crown bark (G\ officinalis), the Red bark (( . 
sticcirubm), and a few of the hybrid variety. These 
trees are from 4 to 10 years old and number, in all 
about 10,000 healthy trees. 
3. Monkey Hill :— 5,900 feet to 6,300 feet. This is 
