124 



170.—" THE hOQJJ AT. "—Eriobotry a Japonica, Lindl. 



This tree is a native of China and Japan. It grows in the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens to a height of thirty or thirty-five feet, and in 

 favourable seasons gives a fair supply of fruit. The latter, though 

 sought after by the youth of the place, cannot be said to rank as a 

 first-class dessert fruit in Tiinidad, whatever they naay be in their 

 native country. When in good condition, however, they have a 

 pleasant flavour, and possibly in drier districts, fruit may be produced 

 of superior quality. Plants are readily raised in quantity from the 

 seeds produced. The tree belongs to the order Rosacece to which the 

 pear, the apple, the cherry, the strawberry, and other European 

 fruits belonor. 



'O* 



171.— GIANT CACTUS.— Ceretis peruvianus. 



Growing near to the office of the Gardens is a large plant of this 

 Cactus which annually produces a large number of pure white flowers, 

 sometimes as many as a thousand at a time. Blooming however as 

 they do during the hours of night and closing early in the morning, 

 it is seldom that visitors have an opportunity of witnessing the 

 display of bloom. The season during which flowering takes place i§ 

 during the months of May or June according to the rainfall. Seen 

 in the early morning when in full flower, the plant presents a beauti- 

 ful appearance, but for the rest of the year its huge stems, some 30 

 feet in height are, though quaint and interesting, anything but 

 beautiful objects. 



172. — SHALLOT. — Allium Ascalonium, L. 



" Although botanically very closely allied to the ciiltivated onion, 

 " the shallot in its manner of growth differs from it completely from 

 " a horticultural point of view." — {Vilmorin-Andrieux.) 



The true shallot is a native of Palestine. In the West Indies this 

 useful esculent is cultivated in many places but not generally. It can 

 be profitably cultivated at low altitudes if grown in well manured 

 beds at distances of six inches apart and planted so as to ripen in the 

 dry season. It is frequently used as a component part of West 

 Indian pickles. 



173.— THE GROUND UUT—AracMs hypogea, L. 



" Ground Nut," Monkey Nut," " Earth Nut," " Pindar," " Pea 

 Nut," " Pistache de terre" and " Earth Almond." Professor Church 

 in food grains of India gives the following Eastern names for the 



