8io 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[April 2, 1883. 



of grass is gone and every water-hole in the country is di-ied 

 up. And now that ostrich breeding and feather farming have 

 been added to the industries of the South African Colonies, 

 the prickly pear may be called the staple article of food for 

 these birds; for although lucerne and other green food is 

 largely cultivated for their, use, the supply may — and does — 

 frequently fail from the cause before mentioned, namely, the 

 drought to which this country is unfortunately so subject 

 periodically. My late husband, Mr. Oarey-Hobson, an old 

 Colonist of great experience, used to say: " Don't destory all 

 the prickly pears, for the time will come when they will be 

 needed in the land." 



I am, &c., 

 54 Doughty Street, W. 0. M. Oaeet-Hobson. 



CLEANLINESS IN GAKDENING. 



It is generally admitted that cleanliness is necessary for 

 the health of animals, and it is quite as essential for that of 

 plants, which without it suffer perhaps more qiuckly than our- 

 selves, for when they get theii- leaves and bark coated over 

 with dust and dirt the breathing pores and air passages are 

 stopped, and root-action becomes enfeebled and slow. This is 

 no fancy sketch, as many know who have had much to do 

 with gardening, the best cultivators are so fully ahv« to the 

 importance of keeping plants clean that they are always on 

 the watch to free them from insects, which not only interfere 

 with and cripple their growth by feeding on them, but do 

 even more harm by the excretion they exude, and the way 

 they seal up the pores. Take scale for instance, which con- 

 fines itself mostly to the bark — or mealy-bug, that lives any- 

 where or on anything — and what can be more injiu-ious than 

 they? And yet the injm'y they commit is not so much from 

 what they take from the plant as what they add to it, or in 

 the way they affect it as mentioned above. It mH be seen, 

 then how necessary it is to free them from these parasites. 

 Fortunately they succumb readily to paraffin, which is unques- 

 tionably one of the safest and best insecticides that can be 

 had, for which proper care in mixing and applying it does not 

 hurt anything, and has the merit of actually impro\'ing .such 

 fohage as that of the Gardenia or Camellia, to which it seems 

 to impart an additional pohsh and lustre. For Peaches, 

 Pears, or other fruit trees infested with scale it has no equal, 

 as they may be gone over quickly by the aid of a syringe and 

 wetted all over, and in a short time the scale, which before 

 here able to cleave tightly, will be compelled to leave their 

 hold, as the penetrating power of the paraffin is so great that, 

 invulnerable as their coats seem, it soaks them through and 

 through. The remedy for aphis is well known and easily carri- 

 ed out, and although they may be dealt with in a variety of 

 other ways, such as by the application of tobacco-dust and in- 

 secticides used in a liquid state, nothing answers better than 

 fumigating where the smoke can be confined, as it can always 

 be in houses or pits. Thrips, too, are readily vanquished by 

 the fumes of tobacco, but to be thoroughly effectual it is 

 necessary to repeat the dose two or three time in quick 

 succession, which is better than only one strong appheation, 

 and running the risk of injuring the plants. To get rid of the 

 excreta of insects and other dirty deposits from the foliage, 

 the best way is to syi-inge it over with warm soapy water, 

 which should be clear and soft, and after this has had time to 

 soak in and soften the dirt, a thorough rinsing from the gar- 

 den engine will remove it altogether, and make the leaves 

 clean. Camellias always pay weU for sponging, and it is a 

 good plan to go over these at this season before the buds are 

 further advanced, and give them a good washing after the 

 engine has been brought to bear on them, as the beauty of 

 the flowers is much enhanced by having bright glossy foliage 

 to back them. Not only is it necessary to have the leaves 

 and bark of all plants perfectly clean if they are to be main- 

 tained in health, but it is just as important that their habit- 

 ations shoxdd be made in the same condition, and especially is 

 it so as regards the roof — the glass — for light is life to vege- 

 tation, and few plants in houses at this time of year get 

 enough for then' welfare. All .sashes and woodwork, too, are 

 greatly improved by a good scrubbing, which, if soft-soap and 

 water are used, is ahnost equal in its beneficial effects to a 

 coat of paint, as it removes all filmy depo.sits, that harbour 

 and hold the wet and carry decay into the wood. The best 

 time to cleanse glass is when the atmosphere is damp and 

 heavy, as then the vegetable matter with which it is coated 



becomes shmy, and may be started quickly by using a large 

 soft bm-sh, followed up with plenty of water. This, di-iven on 

 with force after the rubbing, will wash all off and make the 

 glass clean, which will then admit the full rays of the smi, so 

 cheering to plants at this season. The plants and glass clean, 

 the next thing is to look to the soil and the pots, the former 

 of which should be gently scraped and surfaced over so as to 

 remove any mossy growth and let in the air, without which 

 roots suft'er, and the earth they are in soon becomes stagnant 

 and sour. Dirty green pots are a frequent cause of the latter 

 state of things, and they should therefore be scrubbed outside 

 when in use, and always well washed all over and dried before 

 putting plants in. AVhere there are walls in houses, a fresh 

 coat of Ume wash has a very sweetening effect; and not only 

 this, but it adds to the light and gives a more cheerful 

 appearance. In the sweeping and cleaning of floors the great 

 thing is to avoid dust, which floats about in the atmosphere, 

 from whence it is deposited on the plants and adheres to the 

 fohage. — F. S. — Gardeners^ ChronicU, 



THE BAMBOOS 



are thus noted in a paper on Ai-boriculture in the Indian 

 Agriculturist: — To every one in India the name of bamboo is 

 familiar; but every one knows such bamboos only which arc 

 found in places where he is located. For uistance, in Oudh, 

 there is one variety of bamboos called kat baiiai, on account of 

 the long spines, known to botanists by the name of Bambusa 

 Sj)ino$a of Roxburgh. The bamboo takes up great deal of 

 space, does not gi-ow straight, but from a certain height obU- 

 quely and crookedly, crossing other stems, thi'owing out dense 

 spiuy branches, forming impenetrable and formidable bush, 

 which would retard and repel caimon balls (for which quality 

 it used to be planted outside the i/urhs — forts — to baffle and 

 repel the attacks of enemies), by which extraction of the 

 stems become very difficult and expensive, and therefore- not 

 profitable. Judging from this bamboo, the people of Oudh 

 would shrug their shoulders on hearing of haui!>oo cultivation, 

 being no doubt ignorant of the large number of species free 

 from thorns, perfectly straight in growth, easy of extraction, 

 strong and diu-able, and useful in multifarious ways. Bam- 

 boo in its humble way is as useful, nay, in some in.stances 

 more, but far cheaper than timber. In China, Japan, and 

 Burmah, houses are built of bomboos, fancy trays and basket.", 

 richly lacquered work-boat masts, fishing rods, sticks, morhas 

 and couches, sericultm-al apparatus of all kinds, and many 

 other things are made in these places and in India (where 

 available, but in less ingenious fa.shion). A chief recommend- 

 ation for the cultivation of bamboo is, that it grows very fast, 

 coming to maturity in 3 to 5 year.s. In most parts of India 

 the bungalows are made of sun-dried bincks, whitewashed, 

 door and door-posts and windows made of wood, and the rest 

 having bamboo work. "\Vhen bamboo is not to be found, 

 saplings of Shorea rohusta, or that of Acacia arahica (it 

 available ) arc used. The bamboo region stretches from the 

 Lower Himalayas to Lower Bengal, the whole of Burmah 

 (British and native), all Siam, China, and Japan, in the con- 

 tinent of Asia. These places have the best bamboo whether 

 for industrial or for decorating pui-poses: in addition to these, 

 some genera and species highly valuable are also found in 

 South America, parts of Africa situated near the sea, Ceylon 

 and Java, the Phdlippine Islands and Madagascar. The bam- 

 boo genera are very numerous, and have many species and 

 v.arieties. I will mention some of them which will grow 

 in the plains of India, where this very useful plant is not to 

 be found, forming artificial bamboo forest. 



Bambusa aspera (Poiret). — Native of the Indian Archipela- 

 goes. A lofty bamboo, 120 feet high. The stem is thick 

 and very strong: it is straight in habit of gi'owth, and 

 has no spine. Propagated from off-shoots — or from cuttings. 



Bambusa xulijares ("Wendland). — The common spinele.ss 

 bamboo of Bengal. It grows very fast, acquuring the height 

 of 40 feet in one growing season (rainy weather). The 

 maximum height hitherto, under no care whatever, observed, 

 is 70 feet. The stem of this bamboo is extensively used in 

 Bengal for building purposes and is the one known to the 

 people of "Western Bengal, N.-'W. Provinces, and Oudh 

 by the name of Chaboo bans. 



Bambusa balcooa (Eoxb.) — Another bamboo of Bengal, 70 

 feet high, spineless, strong, durable, easily split and worked 

 into fine sUces for manufactuimg baskets, mats, &c. 



