Page 183 of John Damper Parks' journal and notes: 'Memorandums on certain occasions' by John Damper Parks

Title

Page 183 of John Damper Parks' journal and notes: 'Memorandums on certain occasions' by John Damper Parks

Record type

Archive

Original Reference

RHS/Col/4/1/20

Date

18 Sep 1823

Scope & content

Page 183: 'Memorandums on certain occasions'

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

List of plants from Prince Wales' Island [Pulo Penang, Malaysia], brought by Captain Nairne [Alexander Nairne, captain of HCS General Kyd], comprising two cases of 'different kinds of plants', one case of pineapple and one box of dried specimens

Parks does not think that the Dutch hoe will ever be of much use in Macao [Macau], the soil being 'of that very retentive nature, which binds so hard on the surface that it will resist such an instrument on it'; judging by 'ocular demonstration' and Mr Beale's [Thomas Beale, naturalist, merchant and opium speculator in Macao] account, it seems difficult to keep plants from the Straits in Macao, as the northerly winds in autumn and winter are too harsh; the mangosteen is particularly delicate, and Beale has been trying unsuccessfully to raise mangosteens for a long time; it seems 'reasonable' that plants in England cannot flower in hot houses as they do in their natural state, as in glasshouses the air is 'rarefied by artificial means' and not 'fresh and salubrious', whereby the wood that becomes hard and mature in its natural surroundings, becomes soft when produced in hot houses; Parks is surprised to see how Quisqualis indica and Lagerstroemia flower in the wild, having had the benefit of the climate and 'plenty room at root'

Includes a note: 'carried page 172'. For further related notes, 2-10 Nov 1823, see RHS/Col/4/1/16

Extent

1 page

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)