44^ 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[NOVEMEEK I, 1882, 



as if cut with a knife. The Oliekiang species have slightly 

 rouDcled corners, and moreover they are more slender, 

 liein'T used only as pipe-stems, whereas the western kind 

 is large enough to serve as staves for the aged. In its 

 early .stage of growth the square bamboo is nearly round, 

 assuming the anomalous figure it afterwards presents as 

 it advances towards matm-ity. Like several other kinds 

 of bamboo it is thorny, abounding in small spines. If we 

 may credit accounts which have reached China from Western 

 Turkestan (Ta-yueu), there is or was produced in that region 

 a square bamboo which is a curiosity of acm'iosity. The 

 Prince of that country possessed and highly prized a square 

 bamboo, on the faces of which were eyes, beard, and teeth. 

 Art no doubt contributed to the production. There are 

 considerable varieties in the colour of bamboo, — white, 

 yellow, reddish, purple and black. Besides being ornamental, 

 it i-s us'jtul, very pretty chairs being made of it. A native 

 writer says of this plant that it "■ inji.u:es its mother," 

 which means that its shoots must not be planted near the 

 parent clump. In mentioning these curious bamboos, we 

 must not forget the most useful description of all. "\^"e 

 refer to what is generally known as the * * hair " bamboo, 

 the shoots of which constitute an excellent esculent, which 

 is largely exported from the neighbourhood of "Wenchou; 

 the bearded appearance of the shoot giving it the hu-sute 

 designation. It is not like the square bamboo, which is 

 adapted to limited areas only, but it will tlourish almost 

 wherever there is a due amount of heat, moisture, and 

 a fertile soil. The uses of this kind of bamboo have 

 been often described, but there is one purpose to which it 

 is applied, and at AVenchou only, and therefore but little 

 known. It is rendered plastic by being boiled half a day 

 in potash and lime; the alkalies having done their work, 

 a slit is made in the cylinder (which is of any required 

 length, usually a foot), ami it is then pressed out into 

 a sheet form by heavy stones. These sheets of bamboo, 

 which are sometimes a foot in width, are then carved, 

 cutting them through, and in this way are formed re- 

 presentations of flowers, birds, various forms of characters in 

 verse, and the like, which, glued to delicate filagree work of 

 bandjoo, and framed, make the unique aud elegant pictures 

 to which we have referred above. — North China Herald. 



KEW DRUGS INTRODUCED DURING THE 

 LAST TEN YEARS. 



BY FRED. KILMBE. 



At a meeting of the American Pharmaceutical Association, 

 held in 1880, at Saratoga, Mr. Jas. G. Steele, of CaUfomia, 

 exhibited about fifty specimens of California plants, some 

 of which have become of some note, a Ust of the same 

 is appended : — 



1. — Alder Bark. Aluus Oreyona. Tonic and astringent. 

 Used for lotions in cases of sore mouths, ulcers, &c. 2. — 

 Ava KavaRoot. Macropiper jueth^sticum. Used with success 

 in gonorrhcea, gleet, gout, rheumatism, &c. 3. — Barberry, 

 wild or holly-leaved, ot L'dliforma. Ht-rberis B.aquifolium, 

 Part used, the root. Tonic and alterative. Uused in cancer, 

 intermittent fever, and syphilis. Samples sent of entire 

 plant of B. aqiiifolivm ; also of H. repent, the root of 

 which is sometimes substituted for that of the former. 

 4.— Buckeye Bark. Q£scidu.s Cadfornica. Tonic, astringent, 

 and antifebrile. 5. — Buckthorn Bark of California, lihamnus 

 crocea. Tonic, alterative, and laxative. 6. — Butterfly Plant. 

 Hahia arachnoidia. Tonic, expectoraut, diaphoretic, and 

 alterative. 7. — OascaraSagrada. Rliauinua Parschiana. Seven 

 samples of the bark, from as many difi'erfnt localities, 

 all more or less differing in appearance, but identical in 

 therapeutic effects. Tonic and laxative. Used with success 

 in dyspepsia, torpid liver, habitual constipation, piles, &c. 

 8.— Canchalagua. Erythnea venusta. Antifebrile aud an 

 aid to enfeebled digestion and impaired nutrition. A bitter 

 tonic. 9. — Cedron Seeds. >Siimiba Ctiiron. Powerfully tonic 

 and antiperiodic. Antidote to hydrophobia ami the bites 

 of venomous serpents. 10. — Copalque Bark. Croton snper- 

 osuiji. Bitter tonic and antiperiodic. 11. — .Damiana Leaves. 

 Tdrnera apkrodisiaca. Aplirodisiac, tonic, aud laxative. 

 12. — Durango Root. Triccmsies yluvierata. Balsamic, tonic 

 and stimulant to the circulatory system. IS. — EI Gobernailor. 

 Lcirrya Jlexicana. Balsamic, tonic, alterative, aud laxative. 

 14.— Eucalyptus Leaves. J^ucuIi/jHks ylohuliis. Tonic and 



antifebrile. Used in fevers, kidney diseases, catarrh of 

 the bladder, aud in diseases of the lungs and air passages. 

 15. — Garrya Bark. Garrt/a cUiptica, Properties similar to 

 the Garrya Leaves. 16. — Garrya Leaves, or California Quinine 

 Bush. Garrya Fremontii. Bitter tonic, stimulant, anti- 

 malarial, and sedative. 17. — Ginger Leaf. Eremocarpus 

 setiyerus. Stomachic, tonic, carminative, aud febrifuge. 

 18. — Grindelia. G. robusta. Expectoraut, demulcent, and 

 tonic. Used locally for the cure of *' Poison Oak," 19. — 

 Grindelia iSquarrosa. Useful in malarial diseases, enlarged 

 spleen, &c. 20. — Kidney Root. Baccharis pillularis. Balsamic, 

 tonic, and stimulant to the kidneys and bladder. 21. — ■ 

 Laurel Leaves. Oreodaphne t'alifornica. Aromatic, carmin- 

 ative, sedative, aud antiseptic. 22. — Laurel Tree Bark. 

 0. Californica. Possesses the properties of the leaves in 

 a reduced degree. 2S. — Life Everlasting. G7iaphalium mac- 

 rocepkaliu3?t. Anodyne, diuretic, sudorific, aud narcotic. 

 24. — Lilac Tree Bark. Ceajiothus tkyrsijioriis. Demulcent, 

 tonic and antiperiodic. 25. — Luco Weed. Oxytropis cam- 

 jjestris. Poisonous. Powertuiiy narcotic and repressant, 

 26. — Madrona Leaves, Arbutus Menziesii. Tonic and as- 

 tringent, with a stimulant effect on the urinary organs. 

 27. — Madrona Bark. Possesses properties similar to the 

 leaves, in a reduced degree. 28. — IVlauzanita Leaves. Arc- 

 tostaphylos ylauca. Astringent, tonic and diuretic. 29. — 

 Maple Bark. Acer niacrojjhyUnm. Tonic, astringent and 

 ophthalmic. 30. — Mistletoe, i horadendron^fiavescens. Nervine, 

 antispasmodic, narcotic, and emmeuagogue. 31. — Oak Eai'k. 

 Quercv.s densifolia. Tonic and powerfully astringent. 32. — 

 Oak Excrescences. Qucrcus (obata. Contain a notable 

 percentage of taunin. 33. — Rhamnus toruientilla^ Bark of. 

 Similar in proi^erties to Cascara Sagrada, but in a reduced 

 degree. 34. — Romero. Tricho^tema lanaia. Anthelmintic. 

 35. — Sage, "Wild. Arte>nesia Californica. Bitter tonic, aro- 

 matic, and discutient. 36. — Sueezeweed, or Swamp Grass. 

 Helenium puberolum. Errhine, tonic, alterative, and an- 

 tisyphilitic. 37. — Spikenard Root. Aralia Californica. Dia- 

 phoretic, diuretic, and expectorant. 38. — Tar Weed, Blue. 

 Trichostema lanceolata. Balsamic, strongly terebinthinate, 

 diuretic, and counter irritant. 39. — Tar Weed, YeUow. 

 Hemizonia corymbosa. Highly odorous, tonic, cathartic, and 

 discutient. 40. — Tyone Bark. Hepeivmale arlutifolia. Tonic, 

 astringent, and sedative. 41. — Tyone Leaves. Carminative, 

 antispasmodic, and sedative. 42. — Willow Bark. Salix 

 tony folia. Astringent, tonic, antifebrile, and aromatic. 

 43. — Wild Simtlower, or Turpentine Root. iVyetlua heUnoides. 

 Stimulant to the secretions, expectorant, and diuiectic ; 

 tonic to the kidneys and bladder. 44. — Wormwood. Ar- 

 temesia absinthium. Properties similar to the Eastern grown 

 plant, in an enhanced degree. 45. — Yarrow. Achillea 

 millefolium. Tonic and emmeuagogue. 46. — YerbaBaena. 

 Micromeria Dovylasaii. Anthelmintic, carminative, and anti- 

 periodic. 47. — Verba Marra, or Man Root. Meyatrhiza 

 Californica, Drastic cathartic, hepatic, and antiperiodic. 

 48. — Yerba Reuma. Frankinea yrandifolia. Given with 

 success in catarrh, gouorrhct»a, leucorrbcua, and catarrhal 

 rheumatism 49. — Yerba Santa. Eriodyction ylutino^um. 

 Tonic, expectorant, aud diuretic. Useful in diseases of the 

 throat, Itings, &c. 50. — Leaves of the Rhamnus Furschiami 

 and Berberis aquifolium^ mounted and framed. — Uil and. 

 JJruy News. 



CULTIVATION AND PRODUCTION OF PINE- 

 APPLES IN THE BAHAMAS. 

 The cultivation and shipment of pine-apples is, accord- 

 ing to Consul McLaiu, the most important industry of the 

 Bahamas, much capital, and very mauy people beiug em- 

 ployed in it, so that the material prosperity of the colony, 

 from year to j'ear, depends largely upon the success or 

 failure of the crop. Of the several varieties of pine-apple, 

 only two are considered profitable to cultivate for export- 

 ation, the • scarlet" or Cuban pine, and the "sugar-loaf." 

 The former was introduced to the Bahamas from Cuba 

 in iSoO, and is now the leading variety of commerce; 

 the latter, a very luscious fruit, is exported principally 

 to England. The Bahamas generally are noted for the 

 thinness of the soil, which seldom exceeds a depth of 

 from six to eight inches. The islands are composed largely 

 of a species of limestone, made up of sand, carbonate of 

 lime, and the remains of myriads of defunct coral insects, 

 so that the rock itself is a very good fertiliser ; in fact 



