Sept. f, 1886,] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



159 



some fine sections of timbor. the vegetable products 

 on the whole are not striking, nevertheless there are 

 Bome interesting exhibits, lor instance, a large quantity 

 of a wooly substance like fur is labelled "Pulse 

 from base of stalks of Macrozamia spiralis," a new 

 product, it would seem, from a Cycadeous plant, used 

 we suppose, for stuffing cushions. A curious and 

 interesing ethnological collection is shown from New 

 Guinea, amongst them several singular wooden drums 

 ornamented with festoons of the hard seed shells of 

 Pangium edule, which are probably used for the 

 rattling sound they would give when shaken, as well 

 as for their ornamentation. One case is filled with 

 the celeln-ated Cabbage tree hats made from the split 

 and plaited leaves of Livistona australis. They are 

 labelled as being made of " grass grown and plaited 

 l.y natives ; " the price of a single hat varies from 

 15s. to 20 guineas. 



AVesteun Austkalia. — The most remarkable exhibits 

 in this court are the marvellously fine specimens and 

 blocks of Jarrah wood (Eucalyptus marginata). A 

 portion of one enormous trunk lies on its side, the 

 cross section of the base of which is highly polished, 

 showing to great advantage the beautiful deep red 

 colour of the wood. A magnificent specimen of curly 

 Jarrah, which has dark, wavy, transverse markings is 

 also shown. It is called a counter top — much too beauti- 

 ful, however, for such a use — and measures probably 

 14 or 15 feet long, by some 2 feet or 2 feet 9 inches 

 wide. The woods shown in this court, like those 

 from Queensland, are exceptionally well prepared and 

 polished. Jarrah wood is well known to be the most 

 desirable of all woods for moist or damp situations, 

 indeed it may be said for any situation, as it bears 

 not only changes of temperature without injury, but 

 it also resists the attacks of Teredo, white ant, or 

 any similar destructive agency. As proof of its dur- 

 ability a si^ecimen is shown that has been lying on the 

 beach at Bunbury for a period of thirty-six years, 

 where it has experienced the action of the waves, sun, 

 wind and sand without any apparent injury. Several 

 other interesting wood are to be seen in this court 

 and one notable object is a Black Boy trunk 

 (Xanthorrhma) 20 feet high — a remarkable specimen, 

 beside which is a fine specimen of Kingia australis 

 in flower. 



Victoria. — Here, as in the other Australian courts, 

 the products of the genus Eucalyptus are very pro- 

 minent. Mr. Joseph Bosisto, the President of the 

 Victorian Commission, who has been so long and so 

 well known for his work in the development of the 

 oils and resins of the Eucalypti, is a prominent exhibitor 

 of these products, amongst which are essential oils 

 of Eucalyptus amygdalina, E. globulus, E. oleosa, E. 

 dumosa, E. citriodora, E. obliqua, &c. These oils have 

 antiseptic and disinfectant properties, and that of 

 E. globulus is tonic and stimulant. Here also are 

 cigarettes of the leaves of Eucal\ ptus globulus, recom - 

 mended for bronchial and asthmatic afliections ; Euca- 

 lyptus disinfectant pastiles, the fumes of which are 

 said to be of great service in diseases of the respiratory 

 organs, and to have the effect of driving mosquitos 

 out of the room. The resin of the Black Bi>y or 

 Grass-tree of Austral'a (Xauthorrha?a australis) is 

 also shown. It is soluble in spirit, producing a deep 

 amber colour, employed in staining wood to imitate 

 Cedar and Oak. It is stated that in Mr. Bosisto's 

 factory in Western Gippsland 12,000 lb. of Eucalyptus 

 oil are annually produced, and as many as six tons of 

 Eucalyptus leaves are manipulated daily. There is a 

 remarkably good collection of Victorian woods, each 

 specimen having a representation of the plant yielding 

 it painted upon it: a slab of PJucalyptus rostrata 

 measmes some 10 feet by 3 feet. An excellent 

 catalogue of Victorian exhibits is published by autho- 

 rity in which are many useful notes on the woods 

 and othsr vegetaiile products. — Gardenerft^ Chromde. 



f'EMENT FOB Aquaria. — The Polytechnischeii N'otiz- 

 hlatt gives two recipes for a cement for joining 

 glass, wood and metal. The first consists of a mixture 

 of equil parts of shellac and powdered pumice-stono, 

 to bo used while warm; the second is obtained by 



melting ordinary brimstone in a ladle, and adding an 

 equal proportion of powdered pumice-stone. The 

 pumice-stone in both cases must be thoroughly dried 

 before mixing, as it is apt to absorb moisture from 

 the air. — 0. W. Quin. — Indian Gardener. 



Dews. — Mr. George Dines, who has made extensive 

 experiments and observations on the formation of 

 dew, finds th;it the depth of deposit in England in an 

 evening rarely exceeds a hundredth part of an inch, 

 and that the average annual depth of the dew depo.sited 

 upon the surface of the earth does not exceed an 

 inch-and-a-half. — Jbid. 



The Wild Potato. — The last word has not been 

 said yet, and to all appearance it will take long in 

 the saying. We have before us a communication 

 from Mr- Alphonse de Candolle, in which he con- 

 tends for the specific identity of Solanum tuberosum 

 and S. Maglia. M. de OaudoUe finally admits— i. 

 Solanum Bridgesii, to which he refers Baker's S. 

 tuberosum (partly) ; and 2, S. tuberosum of Liunseus, 

 under which he includes as va.vieties, a, chiloen-ie, from 

 the island of Chiloe, and which he considers the 

 nearest to the cultivated potato ; b, eidtinn, the cul- 

 tivated variety (as a whole including numerous vari- 

 ations) ; c, Sahiiii, the tuberosum of Sabine in Trans. 

 Hort. Soc, the S. Maglia of Hook, fil., Bot. Marj., t. 

 6756; d, Murjlia of Baker and others, a Chilian 

 maritime plant. .3. S. Mandoni, a species from the 

 mountains of Bolivia. We shall revert to this inter- 

 esting communication on another occasion. — Gardeners^ 

 Chronicle. 



Red Bust on Rose Leaves. — Could you tell me the 

 cause of the rust attacking the Rose so early in the 

 season? I have known the rust very often to appear 

 in the month of August, but it is quite new to me 

 so early- Snme people say it is cow manure that 

 will breed it, and top-dressing will breed it — we have 

 it just the same, top dressing or not. I attribute 

 the cause of red rust to extreme climatic changes. 

 F. X. (J. [It is impossible for cow manure or top- 

 dressing to " breed " this or any other funi^us. All 

 funguses grow from spores just as flowering plants 

 grow from seeds. Over-manuring may in some instan- 

 ces predispose certain plants to fall before the attacks 

 of fungi, and top-dressing, if it contains dead Rose 

 leaves with the resting-spores (Phragmidium) of red 

 rust, may start the disease in spring. The botanical 

 name of red rust is Ooleot porium pingue ; it should 

 be looked for in its early state, and hand-picked and 

 burnt. The fungus is unusually common and early 

 this season. Fungi vary in their time of growth, 

 according to the season, just as flowering plants vary. 

 W. G. S.]—IJnd. 



Floral Decorations. — The Indian Gardener, in an 

 article on this subject writes : — " Amongst our flowering 

 shrubs also we may find much variety ; take for in- 

 stance the many forms of Hibiscus, Ixora, Gardenia, 

 Barleria, Eranthemums, &c. Climbing plants also 

 furnish much useful material, amongst which may be 

 mentioned the Passifloras, Allamandas, Begonias, 

 Petrea, and Beaumontia grandiflora, one of the most 

 beautiful of all climbing plants, and last, but not 

 least, the Antigonons. Ascending yet a step higher 

 we possess a wealth of material in many of our gorgeous 

 flowering trees ; take for instance the Indian Laburnum 

 (Cassia fistvhi), Bauhinias, Lagerstiirmias and the 

 gorgeous Poiucianas. Poinciana regia has been so extens- 

 ively employed in street planting and in the decoration 

 of public and private gardens in Calcutta and many other 

 parts of India as to have caused many people to 

 become thoroughly prejudiced against it, and it must 

 be admitted that the dense sheet of vivid crimson 

 which a well flowered specimen presents duriug the 

 months of April and May, has anything but a soothing 

 effect, under the influence of a punkah and the many 

 other luxuries of indoor life this prejudice may be 

 laid aside, and we would strongly recommend those 

 who have never tried the experioient, to employ the 

 flowers from any well coloured specimen, judiciously 

 blended with Gardenia or any other choice white subject 

 using the leaves of the Poiueiana for garniture ; i' 

 judiciously arranged tbi« has a most pleasing effect.'*^ 



