Seedlings to the number of 1,500 were removed from the propagating house at Plantation and placed under a temporary shading of fern leaves at Newfoundland, where they stood till beds were ready. The beds were formed on terraces on the hill-side at about 250 feet below the summit, the soil here being a light vegetable mould of a reddish colour. The plants were then carefully set out in the beds in rows six inches apart. No shading was at first given; but when severe drought set in and they appeared to be suffering from the power of the sun, I had tree-fern fronds stuck in all over the beds to shield them. The drought still continued, so I removed them to other nursery beds which we had prepared at the top of the Peak in this case more under the shade of the forest, and in a damper, cooler situation. I did not however remove all; thereby I had an opportunity for testing the fitness of the two localities. The plants were treated in precisely the same manner in both cases, with this result: Of those shifted to the new situation, not more than five or six per cent. died, whereas of those remaining in the lower ground more than half perished. So we abandoned the lower and confined ourselves entirely to the Peak, where we succeeded without difficulty. After establishing these nurseries and making walks through the forest to facilitate future operations we proceeded to prepare ground for permanent planting. It was found that shelter and shade are both highly essential to the success of cinchona in the earlier stages of their growth; and as it seems there is no better way of securing these than by allowing a portion of the native forest trees to stand, I made it a point in preparing for planting never to destroy more of the indigenous vegetation than is necessary in order to give room to the young plants. By this system the ground is shaded and retains more moisture than if laid open to the sun by clearing away the forests, and the young cinchonas are in a comparatively cool and damp atmosphere. From this, do not infer that the plants are under dense foliage, or in the drip of high trees, for in the one case we find they become very delicate and slender, and in the other die away altogether. Independently of shading, I find it necessary to have them shaded with tree-fern leaves. This serves to keep the earth and air cool, and consequently to prevent evaporation. Preparing the ground for the reception of the plants is a simple and easy operation. The ground is very soft and loose, and a spade may be forced down by mere hand-pressure. Pits of about three feet in diameter and from eighteen inches to three feet deep, are prepared at distances of from six to nine feet apart, varying on account of forest-trees, etc. This was done during the dry season namely the period between the end of September and the beginning of April; though in the neighbourhood of the Peak the term dry cannot be applied in any season. The only real difference between dry and wet seasons is simply that the one is characterized by lighter rains and higher temperature, the other by heavy rains and a somewhat low temperature. A whole fortnight of really dry weather is quite an unusual occurrence at any season. From the beginning of April to the end of September is the period most favourable to transplanting. The planting out of our young cinchona-trees was commenced on May 1869, and continued to the end of September. Total number set out was 540 plants. The failures in this lot have not exceeded 5 or 6 per cent. and the greater portion of them are in a very promising condition at the present time. The tallest plant (a C. succirubra) measured twenty inches, the average being fifteen inches. Since September their growth has been rapid and is every day increasing. The following shows the total number and condition of the cinchona plants at Newfoundland on 9th December :— C. succirubra planted out Do. in nursery beds Do. in boxes under glass Officinalis planted out Do. in nursery beds Do. in boxes under glass C. calisaya planted out in nursery beds C. pahudiana planted out. Do. Seedlings of officinalis and succumbra in boxes under Total 506 1,109 2,035 25 575 1,700 10 12 1Ο 44 4,000 10,026 In consequence of having so little labour at my disposal, I have not increased the stock of plants beyond that which we can manure, but should it be found advisable to do so there will be no difficulty in raising plants. The different seeds of cinchona supplied so generously by Dr. Hooker generally germinate freely; so while these are to be had there does not appear the necessity for propagating by cuttings. The latter mode of propagation might, however, be resorted to if circumstances recommended it, and it may be noted as an interesting fact that several cuttings of a C. officinalis taken off the parent plant and stuck into the earth in the open air without any protection whatever have emitted roots and are growing freely. Sinoe erecting the first propagating house at Plantation I have erected another something like a cucumber-frame. Should it answer, we shall be able to carry on the whole work of culture at the Peak, and the house at Plantation will be devoted to the rearing of new and useful plants for the colony. Having so far summed up the course of our proceedings, it remains to be seen what prospects of success there are in the undertaking. It might seem premature to offer an opinion in respect to this, at so short a time from the commencement of the experiment, but considering the progress the plants have made, the extraordinarily long period of drought to which they were subjected during the very earliest stages of their growth, and perhaps, too, at times not the most favourable treatment resulting from inexperience on my part, I can express myself well satisfied with their present promising state. In comparing the growth of our plants with those of the same age raised in India and elsewhere, it ought to be remembered that owing to the limited extent of our propagating department it is necessary for us to remove them to the open air at a very early stage, and consequently they do not acquire so large proportions in the first year as plants kept six months or so under glass. As an evidence of this, I planted on the 6th March in prepared soil, in the bed of the propagating house at Plantation, one cinchona plant of each of the four species in cultivation here for the purpose of watching their development under glass. I measured them on the thirteenth of this month and found that the larger (sp. C. succumbra) had reached a height of 4 feet 6 inches, with a circumference of 4 inches round the stem. The next in size (a C. pahudiana) is 4 feet 5 inches with a stem of 3 inches in circumference, and C. calisaya is 2 feet 10 inches and very healthy. The other plant (C. officinalis) was cut down a few days ago, and measured 4 feet 8 inches, but was not so robust and healthy as the other trees. J. H. CHALMERS, Supt. of Cinchona Plantation and Public Nursery. A great reduction in the Civil Government took place on Admiral Patey's arrival. It was represented that the Civil establishment was larger than necessary, and retrenchment was the order of the day; so, when Patey had been here two years, the Home Government recalled him, and considerably reduced the salary, appointing the then Colonial Secretary, Hudson Ralph Janisch, Esq., as Governor of the island. In 1871 there occurred a terrible flood, chiefly from the sides of Ladder Hill and Rupert's Hill, causing great damage to the houses situated at the base on either side. About 100 persons emigrated to the Cape of Good Hope, owing to the great distress of trade here, and a Commission was appointed to inquire into the causes of the financial depression. The chief causes assigned were the reduction of the naval and military establishments, for H.M. ships had made it their headquarters during the suppression of the slave trade, and thousands of pounds annually circulated. Another cause was the opening of the Suez Canal. Living |