Pages 184-185 of John Damper Parks' journal and notes: 'Observations for taking plants to China' by John Damper Parks

Title

Pages 184-185 of John Damper Parks' journal and notes: 'Observations for taking plants to China' by John Damper Parks

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/4/1/21

Date

c.1823-1824

Scope & content

Pages 184-185: 'Observations for taking plants to China', comprising observations on the effects of climate when transporting plants from England to China. Undated

This item is bound in the volume comprising journal and notes of John Damper Parks

An 'ocular demonstration' of the effect of the changes in climate on plants during the journey from England to China, 'causes me to make the present commentary'; the time of boarding the ship was the worst possible, in mid-April, as the plants had not had time to make shoots or leaves; by the time the ship reached the Cape of Good Hope [South Africa], it was winter there, and the plants were unable to handle the sudden change, having 'made about two thirds of their wood', and consequently 'every pore and part of the plants at that time was in a high state of action and very open'; travelling directly to China, instead of going via 'any of the East India ports' meant staying in the cold climate for six weeks altogether; Parks thinks plants should be transported at a better time: 'that is, to take them from England as near the same stage of growth as possible as those alluded to when I arrived between the point of St Helena [Saint Helena, British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha] and the Cape of Good Hope', when they would be better able to survive the change in climate; he recommends therefore that plants should not be sent on ships leaving as early as HCS Lowther Castle left; another option would be to leave the plants at St Helena for about two months, and forward them from there by another ship; grapes seemed little affected by the change, making their wood quickly and hardening the wood with the cold: 'when the worse weather came on again, they broke as if another summer was approaching'; Fuchsia coccinea 'did very well, as it never was very luxuriant, but very healthy', Mr Reeves [John Reeves, East India Company tea inspector and naturalist in China] was pleased to see it in such health, but after Mr Beale's [Thomas Beale, naturalist, merchant and opium speculator in Macao] gardener potted it, it died ('to my sorrow'); the more vigorously plants grew before reaching the cold climate, the more they suffered, and the fuller they were of sap, the more likely they were to rot; sea kale, rhubarb and apples all made 'a faint effort' to grow again when the ship reached warmer climates, but had been too much damaged by the cold

Extent

2 pages

Is part of

RHS archive: plant collector papers

Repository

Royal Horticultural Society Lindley Library

Copyright

Royal Horticultural Society

Credit Line

RHS Lindley Collections

Usage terms

Non-commercial use with attribution permitted (CC BY-NC 4.0)