July i, 1886,] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



6r 



wrapped up tightly amongst sphaguuin moss. The 

 plants were then packed in the case firmly, in an upright 

 position, using sphagnum for filling in the interstices. 

 Thin strips of wood were placed across the balls, the ends 

 of which were nailed to a flaniie insiile the case for that 

 purpose, thus preventing the plants from moving, even 

 if thi- case was turned on end. After being well watered 

 and allowed to settle for a day, the hliuds were tied 

 down and the case sent up to Ijondon, where Mr. 

 Buchanan took it in charge. He was eighly-two days on 

 the journey out, and in a letter to Mr. Taylor received 

 iu December last Mr. Buchauan reports that all the 

 plants arrived in a perfectly healthy" condition, except 

 the Cinchonas, and that he had not given up all hope 

 even of them. I may mention that the Cinchonas 

 referred to were not very vigorous plants to begin with ; 

 they were the best we had at the time, but were merely 

 young .seedling.s. It would be well to laave this method 

 still further tested, either by havijig a few plants sent to 

 a distance alone, or at all events in charge of some one 

 less skilful in the management of pliuts than Mr. 

 ]4uchanan. For all but very tender plants (where 

 special provision would be required), I ihiuk much 

 more favourable results would be attaiued by the use of 

 a case such as that describeil, always provided it were 

 placed free from danger of sea water getting through 

 the canvas, than if the usual Wardiau case were used." 

 Edinburgh Botanical. 



FORESTS OF JAPAN. 



The area of Japan is about 915,000,000 acres, and 

 the forest area, exclusive of the Loo Choo and the 

 Bouin Lslands, is about 29,000,000 acres. The forests 

 are held in nearly equal proportions by Government 

 and by private owners. Forestry has long been niaile 

 a study in Japan, and it is stated in a recent 

 report of the United States Commissioner of Agri- 

 culture that no people are more skilled in grafting 

 and dwarfing trees than the Japanese. The Govoru- 

 raeut Forestry Department is now an important 

 branch of the State. The head office is iu the capital, 

 Tokio, but in each of the forty-four Km or States, 

 into which Japan is divided, there is a branch oftice 

 from which the respective forests and plantations 

 are managed. During the days of the old rulers, 

 each lord had his own fonstry laws, all of which 

 were very strict ; one of these m;uli! it a punishable 

 offence to be found in the forest after nightfall. 

 Since the new reifiuu: the forestry laws have been 

 consolidated, and their old feudal strictness some- 

 what abated; but the existing laws are still strict 

 enough to secure the due preservation of the forests. 

 In Tokio there is a Government .school of forestry 

 which was established three years ago, and is now 

 attt-nded by 150 pupils. Some of these pupils are 

 preparing themselves for practical work in tlie State 

 forests ; others are the sons of landowners and far- 

 niers acquiring a scientific knowledge of arbori- 

 cidture in order to qualify thenistdvcs for the efficient 

 management of their own lands. The curriculum in 

 the forestry school includes botany, the cliemistry 

 of the soil, a little natuial philosophy, surveying, 

 and the practical work of planting and rearing trees. 

 Illustration is given to the pupils by Japanese officials, 

 who have themselves studied forestry in the schools 

 of (Germany. Large plantations have been formed 

 under Government auspices, and every year the area 

 of forest land is being added to — cedars, oaks, spruces, 

 and firs being the trees more generally planted. 

 >Vithin the last few years an important experiment 

 has been made iu the introduction into Japan of 

 the seeds of trees and shrubs from other countries. 

 Tea is e.xteusively cultivated, but it was only in 

 1R79 that the first coffee berries were brought from 

 the Sandwich Islands and planted in Japan, and 

 f^reat hopes are entertained of tiie success of this 

 expi'rinient, from a coininercial point of view. The 

 cinchona tree was introduced from India in lyis, 

 but the climate of Japan does not appear to be 

 favourable to it, and iu 1880 large importations of 

 forest trees were made from Europe and America, 

 and planted in the experimental gardens of the 



forestry department at Tokio. Some were failure.'}, 

 and others took favourably to the country — the list 

 including several firs, oaks, and maples, the birch, 

 the German larch, lime, ash, pinns wehh!n/m, and 

 other trees, which will in time form an important 

 addition to the timber supply of the country. Ex- 

 tending over 15 degrees of latitude, and with hii,di 

 central ridgis of mountains on the larger islan^ls, 

 the climite of Japan differs considerably in the north 

 and south, on the plain and in the mountains, so 

 that the vegetation partakes both of tropical and 

 temperate zone ch iracteristics. The country itself 

 may be divided into five distinct tree regions or 

 zones. In the first the temperature is high, and the 

 forests consists of broad-leaved evergreen trees, then 

 comes the zone of the .oak and the beach, and other 

 broad-leaved deciduous trees ; next that of the family 

 of cedars, among others the Tlnnas and Rethinitporas 

 for which the country is remarkable. Higher still 

 is the region of the firs and pines, the conifers in- 

 cluding many of the finest specimens of the Ahies 

 veitchii. Chief, however, among the trees of Japan 

 are the Cri/ptomeria japonica and Retinospora ohtusa, 

 which attain to a height of about 120 feet, and a 

 girth of 20 feet. The United States Commissioner 

 of Agriculture says, that to those who have only 

 been accustomed to see small dwarf specimens of 

 the Japanese arbor vitces and conifers used for lawn 

 decorations, nothing is more astonishing than the 

 great slabs of wood which such trees supply in their 

 native country. Of such slabs many specimens are 

 seen in Japan, and the ornamental woods are also 

 very numerous. A very useful Japanese hardwood 

 is the Kej/eki, which has a reddish hue ; and there are 

 many varieties of oak. From one of the trees grown 

 in Japan — the liron^onetia papi/rifera — the inner bark 

 is taken and m^iuufactured into paper, while from 

 one of the climbing plants the woodmen make their 

 clothing. The wood is steeped in water, then beaten 

 with hammers, and the fibrous mass thus obtained 

 is woven into cloth, which is dyed a deep blue colour. 

 In the way of timber, the .Japanese are able to 

 supply the greater part of their own wants, and as 

 the houses are largely built of woo<l, the quantity 

 required is very considerable. A large quantity of 

 timber is exported to China, and a small (juantity 

 is imported from America. In .Fapan there are large 

 numbers of ponds m which timber is preserved. 

 These are usually constructed near the mouth of a 

 river, and iuto them fresh and sea water is allowed 

 to flow, in the proportion of six parts salt to four 

 parts fresh. Should there be a larger proportion of 

 salt water, the timber is apt to become black ; if 

 a larger, proportion of fresh water, the wood is liablt- 

 to attack from worms. The ponds are about five 

 feet in depth, and by means of canals many of 

 them are often connected. The timber is piled in 

 the form of a cube, and is kept in the pond from 

 two to five years before being used ; the trees most 

 frequently treated in this way being the Retino^poros 

 and Oryjitomerice; a part of the preserving process 

 being tHe thorough washing and re-arrangemmt of 

 the wood twice a year. Some of the ponds are made 

 large enough to contain 10,000 pieces of timber. 

 — Journal of the Societi/ of Arts. 



VICTORIAN OEANGES. 



The value of orange culture in Victoria is ainuially 

 becoming more distinctly apparent. The quality of 

 the Sydney fruit, upon which we are at present al- 

 most entirely dependent, has been deteriorating for 

 soiue 5'ears ; while the few of Victorian growth that 

 aie occasionally brought to market, testify to its pro- 

 fitableness. One of our correspondents, Mr. Sydney 

 Williams, whose garden is sitnated to the east of 

 DoneasliT, 1ms a small plot of oranges and lemons, 

 that brings him in more profit than an equal area of 

 any other kind of fruit in his extensive garden. Still 

 finer oranges are grown iu other districts, especially 

 to the North of the dividing range, whence magnifi- 

 cent specimens liave been sent from several parts of 



