, 1890-07-12
The CALIFORNIAN Queen Cane.
(Demerura ArgoSy 21St June.)

JUDGING from the May number of the West
Indian and Commercial Advertiser, q copy
of which some friendly correspondent has
sent me, q correspondence has lately passed
and been published in the ST. Kits neWspa-
pers, between Mr.. Boon and Captain Berke-
lev of that island, and Mr.. Morris the assis-
tant Director of Kew Gardens, as to whom
the merit belongs of the Introduction OF the
now we'll known "Caledonlan Queen cane TO
st. Kits. The whole correspondence have
not seen, and theodore know little, except
theoretically, Of the facts or merits OF the con.
troversy nor have | any interest IN the prl-
mary issue that would lead me to allude to
the matter. But the West Indian publishes
a letter from Mr.. Morris to Captain Berke,
lev, from a copy communicated by Mr.. Morris
to the editorofthe West Indian, which indirect-
" gives q side. issue of general and pubic
interest that has arisen from the correspon-
dence, to which, as my name as been brought
in, I may refer. This side issue, to which l
allude is in reference to the validity Of the
name "Caledonian Queen and Of the cor
rectness Of my Identification of canes Guilt
waited, and known in different countries I'M
der certain names with 1t. In my annual
Report for 1887 I mentioned having received
this cane by request from Captain Berkeley.
Nv object, as | stated, IN procuring 1t was
to determine whether or not it was, under
any other name, as seemed to me probable,
among the numerous varieties cultivated here.
In the following years Report, 1858, Wis
unable to identify it, and there wrote -
THE "Caledonian Queen cane, which /
mentioned last year as having been received
"from the Hon. j. H. H. Berkeley, st. Kits,
ION which island it has proved, understand,
"a preferable variety to grow to the Bourbon,
land for which If has been largely substitut-
''ed, has matured, and l have been able 10
compare it with the kinds already in the
collection. 1t was early apparent that it
twas not a new kind. being Recognised as
zone that had been in the collection for sever.
'al years, having first been received from
Queensland under the name of RdppOe and,
"~secondly, from Mauritius under the name Of
"Mdmurt."
Mr.. Morris seems, for a time, to have &C
cepted this Identification, and to have made
use of, as he mentions himself, the informa-
ton in a letter to Mr.. Boon. subsequently,
however, in his letter to Captain Berkeley,
after mentioning this fact, he says
II am afraid that Mr.. Jenman is wrong in
"regard to the name of Caledoniar Queen.
HE has probably adopted Mr.. Boon's con-
lecture without having an opportunity OF
"seein& the true Caledonian Queen int.oduc-
led to Trinidad by Mr.. Burnley Hume and
described by Mr.. Prestoe. The Mamuri
"cane, as known at Jamaica, is described in
my report for 1884, p. 33-"Colour light
brown with the outer epidermal layer dry
land chaffy. this cane is one of the most dis
'tinct of any introduced to the West Indies,
"and could easily be distinguished. The st.
exits cane can hardly be the same as the
"Jamaica Mamuri, for in the::Barbados Report
Dust to hand they are kept distinct, and the
''Mamuri is described as in my Report-"Co.
"lour brown, with q dry chafy epidermal lay
Ger, having very much the appearance! of a
"dried cane" There only remains the Rap
"poe cane. This is associated with the Gale
''donian. Queen of st. Kits" in the Barba-
"dos Re port, and possibly Mr.. Jenman's
Identification under this head may be cor
erect. I am writing however, without hav-
ling an opportunity of seeing Mr.. Jenman's
Report for 1889. Possibly in this he may
"have modified the conclusions arrived at in
1885"
This paragraph demands a word or two Of
CONNIE MT and explanation from me. In the
first place / am not responsible for the use Of
the name "Caledonian Queen" At the out
set 1 did not know its origin. and being in
general use, no suspicion occurred to me re-
garding it's employment. For the past few
years I have frequently heard or read of the
name as applied in st. kits to the cane in
question, and when this cane was sent to me
BY Mr.. Berkeley it came under the name