, 1874-07-18

bOthin gardening operations andIn the water sup
plv, found among the island records a report
written some years previously by the present.
Director of Kew, recommending extensive
planting and other garden operations to be
carried out; but as planting operations entailed
additional labour which could not we'll be
spared from the usual working and mainten-
ance of the establishment an additional number
of labourers (Africans) was placed at my dis
posal to be employed solely for planting and
works connected Herewith. [ commenced opera
tons by opening holes on the steep mountain
slopes, and then the question arose what
should we plant. As there was no established
nursery to fly to, l had to make use of what I
had on hand and luckily a few years previous
some plants had been received whence / can
not say and planted, evidently with the inten-
ton of being again transpl&nted. These con-
sisted principally Of Australian Acacias and
Eucalypti grown in a jungle, varying from 10
to 20 feet in height so that for want of a better
selection, it was determined to try the expert
ment Of shifting these large trees and bushes.
This was accordingly done, with very great
success in the case Of the Acacias, which grew
away, and did not seeIa to miss their shift,
and the operation Of condenSing moisture soon
commenced, as l will explain. One large
Acacia bush. about IA feet high, had several
SlOOhNh ~ CI&ICS III ~ VIZ hAf luS btO " III
of the letter V. Shortly after this bush was
planted, as | was inspecting the work early in
the morning, during a fog, | perceived, from
the angie Of the Drancn just described, = small
stream Of water actually running into the soil.
There had not been any rain during the
night nothing but a heavy fog. This vas
conclusive that the attracting of fogs and va
pourS by the planting of mountain heights was
no theory, for here was proof.
cat this time great protection was being
given to a few pheasants that had been intro
duced some years previously, but which were
breeding slowly. Water had to be supplied
in various ways, attended with great trouble.
When l observed the water running from the
angle of the Acacia bush, emo more trouble
about wafer for the pheaSants," l thought l
will provide trOughs to catch this condensed
fog" Accordingly, on my representing the
occurrence to the Governor, he allowed me to
have several zinc troughs made, about a yard
in length, 6 or s inches wide and 3 or a inches
deep. These tr0ughs were placed in various
positions beneath the ~neWly-planted large
shrubs. The one under the bent Acacia
branch was filled Immediately, and continued
full, and proved of great utility to man and
birds. Being so high up the mountain it was
out of reach of beasts. 1t was worth climbing
the 1000 and odd feet to get a draft of this
cold condensed fog. After this the pheasants
increased, and l had the pleasure of reporting
a greater number in condition for shooting than
in my previous season, and my report proved
correct, as the number of cock birds bagged
during the shooting season proved.
"Meeting SO far with success in planning, re-
QUESTIONS were forwarded to the Botanic Gar
dens at the Cape ofGood Hope, Mauritius, and
Kew for seeds and plants, as vessels bound to
Ascension offered convenience Of carriage.
In the meantime I CONNER ed propagating
such as I had ON hand, mostly by cutting of
the hard wood layers, and division of roots of
such plants as the Alpinia nutans, which in
favoured places was growing in large masses.
Buddlea globosa, B%rugmansia suaveolens, to-
gether with several species of Hibiscus, were
propagated readily from cuttings of the one
y~earold wood. In a sheltered spot a few
large bushes of the Australian Waffle were
fourishing, and these from the robust nature
of their growth. I was particularly anxious to
propagate, but failed with cuttings, both old
and young, while the wood was too brittle to
layer by tonguing, so at length I found by
simply twisting the branches, and burying the
twist, they rooted freely, but then they would
not stand shifting without balls and as 1 had
neither pots nor a pottery near, I collected and
utilised for the purpose of propagating a guam
tity of small packing cases, butter frkins, and