876 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May I, 1883, 



Germination of Seeds. — Some interesting results 

 oonoernini{ the geriuiiiatiou of seeds liave been obtained 

 by. Dr. Liebenberg, and publislied in the Journal of 

 the Vienna Academy of ' Sciences [Garden, Deo. 2nd 

 p. 480). He tiuds that many plants require the pre- 

 sence of lime in the soil during the germination 

 process, and that the seedlings die if it is not present. 

 On the other hand, there are some plants which germ- 

 inate ti'.y iiithjut it. The cinchona trees are 

 known not to require lime, but the frequent failure 

 in .Jamaica to raise seedlings, may perhaps, be due 

 to the soil not containing the other ingredients necess- 

 ary to their healthy growth. — Pharmaceutical Journal. 



Cassia. — In a note read at the Linnean Society, 

 by Mr. W. T. Thiselton Dyer " On the Origin 

 of Cassia lirjnen," ho remiirks that the want 

 of exact evidence as to the botanical soui'ca of this 

 epice is now cleared up. Mr. C. Ford, Superintend- 

 ent of the Botanical Department at; Hong Koug, has 

 made an expedition to the districts in which the 

 cassia tree is cultivated, and has brought back herb- 

 arium specimens in flower, which prove to be those 

 of Cmnamomum Oassia. So far as Mi-. Ford coukl 

 ascertain, cassia buds and leaves as well as barks are 

 obtained from this tree only. The leaves are sent to 

 Canton for the distillation of oil of oassia, and the 

 buds are gathered when about one-eighth grown. 

 The thick bark, so much valued by the Chinese, is 

 obtained from trees reserved for seed bearing, when 

 such can conveniently be spared for the purpose. — 

 /bid. 



Flowering of Plant.?.— It is not unusual to see 

 violets and primroses and other spring flowers blossom- 

 ing in the mild weather of late autumn, especially if 

 they have been prevented from flowering by haviun 

 been transplanted at the period of flowering. From 

 some interesting tacts stated by Dr. Brandis in the 

 Indian Forester for July, 1882 (commiuiioated by Mr. 

 W. T. Thiselton Dyer to Nature, November 23rd 

 1882), it would appear that similarity of season has 

 more to do than the time of year with the time of 

 flowering. Dr. Brandis observed that from 181.5 to 

 1850, Acacia dcalbata, one of the Australian wattle 

 trees, flowered in India iu October ; in 1860, it was 

 observed to flower in September; iu 1870, iu August; 

 in 1878, in July ; and in 1882, in June. In Austr- 

 alia the tree flowers iu October, which is the spring 

 month there. In Ootaeamnnd, the corresponding 

 month is June. The tree has thus gradnally wori>ed 

 back its time of flowering from October to June, from 

 Indian autumn to Indian spring, during a period of 

 forty years Acacia dccurrens, in the s one wny, ap- 

 pears to have flowered, during May to July, at Kew, 

 in 1790, but now blossoms in February.— /fiui. 



Medicinal Plants.— At a meeting of the 

 Linnean Society, Mr. W. E. Armih, of 

 Queensland, coutrdjuted a paper on "The Native 

 Medicinal Plants of North-West Australia " Among 

 these he enumerated Eryth-a-a atistralis, used as a 

 tonic in febrile compliants ; Oareya arborea, a myrt- 

 aceoui plant, the leaves of which are used as an 

 application to ulcers ; Orewia polygama, a tiliaceous 

 plant, Paul by the author to be very useful iu dys- 

 entery, he having "never known it to fail in any case 

 however serious," Pelalostigma quadrihcularc a eu- 

 phorbiaceous plant, the bark of which is used as a 

 tonic in fevers in does of 10 gr,?. three times a day 

 Datura aastralis an<l Euphorbia piluli/cra, remedies 

 for asthma. Of the two last, the former 'is said to 

 be fatal to horses and cattle, the l.atier has recently 

 been introduced .into this country, and appears to 

 valuable as a remedy for bronchitis as well as asthma 

 Dr. A. F. Currier, of Ne* " ' 

 the American Journal of 

 1882) an article on the use 



York, li.as published .,. 



Medical Sciences (October, 



Eucalyptus Globulus 



of 



{Med. Times and Gaa, Dec. 2nd, p. 666.) The oil 



is said to diminish the action of the heart and the 

 blood pressure, and to act as a stimulant, astringent 

 and antiseptic on mucous membranes. It is also said 

 to destroy entirely the unpleasant smell of iodoform. 

 Dr. Currier speaks highly of its use aa a disinfectant 

 and antiseptic iu chrome ovaritis and tumours of the 

 breast in removing the foetor of the discharges and 

 relieving the pain and discomfort. — Viid, 



CnEMiSTRY OF VEGETATION. — Several valuable mem- 

 oirs have recently been presented to the Academy 

 of Sciences upon points connected with the chemistry 

 of vegetation. M. Leplay (Gompies Rendus, xov., 

 1133) lias given the conclusions he has drawn from 

 the analysis of the different organs of maize at three 

 different periods of it-i vegetation. He has found 

 that at the end of the first period of vegetation (1st 

 July) potash and lime are present iu all parts of 

 growing maize, iu the soluble state in combination 

 with vegetable acids in the juices, and also in the 

 insoluhle state in the tissues. From this time how- 

 ever, no more potash appears to be taken up from 

 the soil ; but that already present in the plant in 

 Boluable organic oombinatiou undergoes an extriord- 

 inary migration from one part of the plant to another 

 During the second period the growing ear is supplied 

 with potash entirely at the expense of the stalks, 

 which lose as much as 39 per cent, of the quantity 

 present in them at the end of the first period ; but 

 in the third period the porporiiion of this base in 

 the stalks is restored to the extent of about 25 per 

 cent., the reserve drawn upon now having previously 

 beeu stored up in the leaves. The quantity of potash 

 in the roots is not affected or only very slightly 

 diminished during these movements. On the other 

 hand whilst the total quantity of potash in the plant 

 remains stationary, the amount of lime in organic 

 combination in the different parts of it is increased 

 during the second and third periods (July 1st to Sept- 

 ember let) by about 140 per cent., the first augment- 

 ation taking place in the stalks, from whence as 

 the plant approaches maturity it passes in consider- 

 able quantity into the ear and especially into the 

 seeds. During the formation of the reproductive organ 

 the potash iu organic combination with the tissues 

 is gradually diminished and disappe.ars entirely from 

 the stalks, being replaced by lime. The vegetable 

 acids combined with the potash and lime are consid- 

 ered to have their origin in the carbonic acid taken 

 up by the plant from the soil iu the form of carb- 

 onate or dissolved in water. According to M. Le- 

 play Compte.s'iReHdus, xcv., p. 89.?) this transformation 

 is effected by (1) reduction of carbonic acid orelimin- 

 ation of oxygen ; (2) condensation or assimilation of 

 carbon ; (3) assimil.atiou of the elements of water in 

 the same proportions as they exist in water. Equations 

 representing the manner in which these changes are 

 supposed to take place are given in the paper. 



Another memoir, by M. Leplay {Compies Rendus, 

 Nov. 27th) throws some light on the relations be- 

 tween the presence of starch and sugar in plants. He 

 found that sugar occurs in the leaves and accumulates 

 in the stem until the moment of the formation of 

 starch iu the seeds. It then passes first into the in- 

 florescence to support it, and subsequently into the 

 seeds themselves, where it is replaced by starch. The 

 function of the sugar would appear, therefoie to, be 

 that of furnishing the seeds with the elements of 

 starch. — Ibid. 



Cinchona B.\jiK. — The Accouuts relating to Trade and 

 Navigation of the United Kingdom just issued, show that 

 the "reruviau bark " imported during the year 1882 weighed 

 138,7(i3 cwts., and was of the estimated value of £1,781,482, 

 whilst there was exported only 80,014 cwts., valued at 

 £903,332. This would leave a good margin for the quinine 

 manufactm-ers. — Pliarmaceutical Journal. 



