338 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[November i, 1883, 



the cultivation of this useful tree is successfully carried 

 out Why could we not do the same m South Australia, 

 where the most proUfic kind, Jcucia pycnantha, Benth., 

 is a native? Although the following remarks have been 

 made in my former reports, I repeat them here:— Ibe 

 dancers to the " wheat crops are too many to compete 

 mth, and it is not within the power of the farmer to 

 avert them. Why not grow other products husules 

 wheat ?" 



Palm HeusE— Although it is satisfactory to observe 

 the rapid and luxuriant gi-owth of the plants, especially 

 the palms, at the same time it is to be regretted that 

 in a short time many wUl have reached the roof of the 

 wings of the house, and it will be necessary to cut them 

 domi, as the palms wUl not stand toppmg Phcenix, 

 Pticlmyerma, Keaiia Corypha, Fritchardxa, and Ln-utcr,ia 

 ,vill have reached the roof in a -short time The Cycadeoe 

 and Pandanece have increased in size and beautj^ and 

 some flower and fruit to perfection, especially the different 

 species of Enccphahutos. The growth of the flue speci- 

 meu of Latania lorhonica, in the centre group of the 

 dome, is striking, and it is gratifjing that the height it 

 stiU has to grow before reaching the roof of the dome 

 is sixteen to seventeen feet. The same luxuriant growth 

 is observable in the fern trees- and, indeed, all the 

 plants contained in the house. The chmbers along the 

 rafters the grotto covered mth the delicate specu-s ot as- 

 parag^is. viz., Aspar.,gn^plumosus nort. Bull,/«?<-„r«.v. I^un 

 virJtiis Hort. Bull., racemosnf, ^\ illd.— become more effect- 

 ive every year. Notwithstanding the great heat we had 

 often to contend with, the temperature in the house has sel- 

 dom been above 90= which is no doubt attributable to the 

 great development of the plants, which increases 

 their exhalation considerably. Tlie terrace around the 

 Pilm House, with its numerous flower-beds, produced, 

 uotmthstanding the ungenial season, an ammated picture. 

 The nlox Drummmdii, Pansies, Petunias, and Lobelias 

 developed to perfection. 



Two thousand five hmidred and forty-one packets of 

 Australian seeds, including many seeds ot forage plants, 

 were sent to kindred institutions and agricultural soci- 

 eties ^■^■i —Madras, Bombay, Hongkong, Singapore, Cal- 

 cutta, Marseilles, France, and the neighboring colonies. 

 As usual, the supply of cut flowers and boughs for de- 

 corations on public festi%-itics, ecclesiastical and ornamen- 

 tal purposes, and ot plants and cuttings to the juveniles 

 of different schools for then- annual flower shows, has again 

 been profuse; and I may here remark that it is a very 

 laudable attempt of the school teachers to inspire our young 

 people mth a ta.ste tor floriculture, audit always gives me 

 pleasure to assist in this praiseworthy object. The Agri- 

 cultural and Horticultural Societies have, as hitherto, been 

 assisted with flowering plants for their perodical shows; 

 hut I must ag.am mention it is always a sacrifice, the plants 

 Bufferhig from the binuing gas and the knocfang about 

 they in most cases receive, from which it takes them some 

 time to recover. 



MusEUJi OF Economic Botasv.— Since my last report 

 758 new objects have been added to this popular institution, 

 which is more appreciated by the public than I even ex- 

 pected, and I again repeat that old and young take a 

 lively interest in the manv objects which show not only 

 how vegetable products can be turned to account for our use 

 and convenience as articles of food, construction, medicine, 

 or art, a knowledge more readily obtained by exhibiting 

 the economical and commercial plants m then- raw states, 

 side by side with the articles into which they have been 

 converted by the labour and skill of man. 



Medicai, Plaxts.— a collection of medical drugs, gums, 

 resins, containing 244 objects, has lately been ad.led; al- 

 though a good many plants in the collection have been 

 rejected from the pharmacopLeia, they stiU retain then- 

 place in rustic practice and as household medicines 

 Several of the plants are merely used by the people of 

 the countries where they grow, and are in high repute by 

 the native phvsiciiins, but the drugs have not found their 

 place in .any western iiharmacopteia. Our collection, there- 

 fore, contains medical plants from all parts of the world 

 which are used by the inhabitants. Tlie medical pKants 

 belong to widely different orders, and it will be noticed 



that in some orders many particuliir medical jiroperties are 

 prevalent, viz.: — Lahiatae, tmliellatiie, Comjmsitae, Lajumin 

 osiw, and Ruhiaceae. The latter contams the very import- 

 ant genus Cinchona, from the bark of which the sulphate 

 quuiine is produced. Through the munificence of Jlr. 

 Thomas "W'iffeu, Loudon, our Museum now possesses a valu- 

 able collection of twenty-two different barks of the most 

 important varieties used in the manufacture of sulphate 

 quinine. It contains the following barks, viz.: — Yellow flat 

 bark, yellow quiU bark, Columbian bark, Pitayo bark, New 

 Granada bark, Oarthagena hark, Indian crown bark, Indian 

 renewed crown bark, Indian yellow bark, Javan yellow bark, 

 Javan crown bark, Indian red bark, &c., &c. The barks from 

 the cinchona trees introduced and cultivated in East India, 

 Neih'herry Hills, Machas, Java, Borneo, and Jamaica; the 

 cHmates of these countries seem to be well suited for the 

 growth of these valuable trees, and strange to say these barks 

 contain alarger percentage of quinine than those of the South 

 American forests. A very interesting fact is that the Indian 

 renewed bark yields more quinine than .any other bark, viz., 

 6-8 per cent of sulph.ate quinine. The r< uewed bark, as 

 its name imphes, is the young bark which has grown over 

 the stem after the origin.ol has been partly stripped off. 

 In the third year it has become sufliciently developed to 

 be iletached from the stem, and h.as been found to be 

 much superior in quality to the original bark from the 

 same tree. The wholesale destruction of the cinchona 

 forests in South America, by stripping the whole bark off the 

 stem or by cutting down the trees, is now avoided in the 

 countries where the cinchona has been uitroduced, by strip- 

 ping only one part of the bark of each tree, which will 

 renew itself without injury to the tree. The labels of the 

 medical plants show the popular and botanical names, coun- 

 try, and a condensed description of the properties, the 

 diseases for which they are used; and the collection is 

 arranged accordmg to the naturiil system. 



The Introduced Plants in our Gardens and Fields. 

 Of intertropical fruits only a few kinds prosper ivith us, 

 viz.:— The Loquat (Eriohotri/a japonica, Lindl.), Guavas 

 (Psiditim pi/riferum, Linn, and pomifciiim), and bananas 

 partially. Even the pineapple must be gi-own under 

 glass. 'Most of the fruits from other parts of the globe 

 thrive luxm'iantly in South Australia, and come to such 

 perfection in size, and frequently in flavor, as is hardly 

 known in other countries, and many fruits are found to 

 improve inateriallv bv the change, the climatic conditions 

 being manifestly favorable to them. On the plains grow 

 Apples, Pears, Apricot. Peaches, Nectarmes, Medlars. Oran- 

 ges, Citrons, Lemons, Plums, Cherries, Figs, Quinces. Mul- 

 berries, Almonds, Olives, and Grapes ; while in the luUs and 

 gullies are also grown Strawberries, Gooseberries, Currants, 

 Raspberries, Walnuts, Chestnuts and Filberts to great per- 

 fection. The Apples grow to a great size, but do not always 

 possess the same fine flavor as at home, and contains 

 more acidity. The apple-tree suffer much from the attack 

 of the .American blight, for which no radical remedy is 

 at pre.sent known. The trees which grow in the hills or m very 

 rich soil suffer most, and at last succumb to this scourge. The 

 Pears grow to perfection, and maintain the same flavor as 

 in the old country. The fruits of the Peaches, Apricots, and 

 Plums reach to" a large size, and contain a good flivvor. 

 The Cherries do not attain the perfection and flavor of 

 those at home. All the stone fruit producing trees are 

 shortUved, especially those of the Peach, Plum, and Apricot, 

 which scarcely live fourteen to sixteen years. This early 

 decline may be owing to the quick luxuriant growth and 

 early exces.'iive bearing of fruit, circumstances which produce 

 over-stiimdation and early exhaustion. The finest grapes 

 are grown in the plains and slopes of the Mount Lofty 

 range facing the plains. Here they grow to a great size, 

 and the summer months ripen them to the greatest per- 

 fection. The wine produced often contains 25 to 30 per 

 cent alcohol. No doubt the South Austi-alian wine must 

 obtain a character in foreign markets. For the last nine 

 years the Oidium has made its appearance m our \nneyard6, 

 but not with such damaging results as in Europe. .Vise 

 the Pkyllnxera has appejired in the vineyard of our neighbor 

 colony,' Victoria, to an alarming way, and a good many ^^ne- 

 yards have already been destroyed. From this it will be 

 seen that the AustraUan vignerons, hke the European, have 

 tp contend against the two greatest scourges which can 

 invade a vine-growing country. The cultivation of tUo Ohve 



