164 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [Simarubee. 
_ But growing with these are many useful plants, of which some might be successfully 
introduced into India, as the olive and carob trees already mentioned ; the laurel and 
sweet bay, manna ash, pistachio, mastick, and Venice turpentine trees ; the species of 
Cistus yielding laudanum, as C. ladaniferus, and creticus ; Styrax officinale yielding 
storar ; and the species of Astragalus, from which tragacanth is obtained, as. A. verus, 
gummifer and creticus : to these might be added, sumach, savine, scammony, and 
colocynth ; while the cork-tree covering the hot and arid plains of Spain, might, with 
the Ilex, Kermes, Dyer’s and Barbary oaks, be grown in the north of India, where . 
some of the Himalayan species do not refuse fo, flourish. The Cactus opuntia has been 
strongly recommended by Colonel Herriott for introduction from the south of Italy to 
. the north of India; and it seems well suited to the climate of the northern provinces; 
where also. Poterium spinosum, valued as fodder for cattle, might be a valuable acqui- 
sition. — ‘ 
_~ Several of the plants enumerated, as the sumach and pistachio, have already been 
introduced into the Saharunpore Botanic Garden, where they grow in the open air, with 
pines, walnuts, poplar, &c. (v. p. 10), and to none of those of the Oriental region did the 
climate appear unfavourable ; it may therefore be suited to others, though it would be 
unreasonable to expect that it should be equally so to all: but between the mountains 
and the plains, there is reason to suppose that suitable situations may be found for the 
greater number, as will be more apparent from the observations on the distribution of 
the natural orders to which they respectively belong. For the very families which oceur 
in the highest proportions in the Oriental region, are those which exist in the largest 
numbers in the Author’s Herbarium, formed in the plains and mountains of Northern 
India: as Leguminose, Composite, Graminea, Cyperacee, Labiate, Crucifere, Rosacee, 
Umbellifere, Ranunculacee, Caryophyllee, Boraginea, and Gentianee. In the plains 
there are numerous species of Euphorbiaceae, Malvaceae, and Cucurbitacee. 
The extent to which the acclitnitation of plants may be carried, or the benefit which 
may be derived, it is at present difficult to conceive, for not many years have elapsed gince 
true principles have even in England been applied to the subject, where, as my friend 
Dr.Graham expresses it, ‘‘ every rare plant was supposed to require heat ;” and now the 
gardens and shrubberies are adorned with the richest varieties, and all intelligent culti- 
vators seek for plants from congenial climates. India, open by sea to the productions 
of South America, has already possessed herself of such, as the guava, custard-apple, 
pine-apple, tobacco, maize, capsicum, and others, which appear as much at home as 
its native productions ; but the difficulty of communication on the north, and the nature 
of the countries and people which ‘intervene, are sufficient to account for the few 
productions of the Oriental region which have travelled southward. It is fortunate 
that the Honourable Company’s Botanic Garden at Saharunpore, with a nursery in the 
Hills, is so favourably situated for carrying on the experiments necessary for the accli- 
m tation of the useful plants of this region; which no doubt the present zealous super- 
intendent, Dr. Falconer, will carry into execution, as the means are afforded or oppor- 
tunities 
