February 2, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



597 



annum. The Chief Inspector's last trip has resulted in 

 completely quelling the turbulent hill tribes on the West 

 Coast, ami all of them have come in and asked to be 

 allowed to pay poll-tax (at least another 5,000 dols. a 

 year to Government), besides which the inland tribes be- 

 hind the hills numbering over 15,000 who have all along 

 been anxious to pay poll-tax, and to trade, will be able to 

 do so ; so that will result in other 15,000 dollars per annum, 

 besides the duty on the native tobacco, &c, they export, 

 and this made a general increase in trade (the hill tribes 

 when they came, down to give in their submission brought 

 so much tobacco with them that the traders, not expect- 

 ing so large a supply, were unable to purchase the whole 

 of it, as their trade goods ran out) . Altogether things look 

 better just now than they have done for the last eighteen 

 mouths." This alone shows that the soil and climate of 

 Borneo are both adapted to tobacco, though our Ceylon 

 products might not thrive there. 



From what I saw, I do not think Liberiau coffee will 

 ever be a paying thing in Borneo, aud, though individual 

 trees with piles of fruit on them may be instanced iu favour 

 of its cultivation, yet the cost of production, the low 

 value of the article, and above all the uncertainty of its 

 continued growth and bearing, combine to make me think 

 this branch of industry will never be a profitable one in 

 the New Ceylon. Of Arabian, the same may be said, even 

 though leaf-disease is unknown. I may mention in passing, 

 that I took to North Borneo, with me, some Arabian coffee 

 seed, Liberian and cardamom seeds, by way of experi- 

 ment. In its manner of growth the Arabian coffee was 

 most curious, for in one part of the bed in which it was 

 planted, the plants had grown to a height of 19 or 12 

 inches, bearing two or three pairs of primaries, and all of 

 a most healthy colour, while immediately alongside of this 

 group, and iu the same bed, were some small sickly little 

 things that could hardly be thought to be one and the 

 same with those beside them. Liberian coffee is also very 

 irregular as regards growth, some trees having the firpt 

 pair of primaries at 13 inches from the ground, while others 

 ran up to 6 feet without a single branch ! Cocoa has been 

 tried, but it would be premature for me to pass an opinion 

 on this subject, while the cultivation of this product is 

 yet in its infancy. Ceara rubber begins to flower at 18 

 inches in height and appears not to thrive particularly 

 well, if regularity, or I should say. irregularity, is a 

 criterion of success. — Local " Times." 



AUSTRALASIAN TREES IN THE ISLAND OF 



ARRAN. 



(Edinburgh Botanical Society. — Nov. 3.) 



The Rev. D. Sandsborough, Kilmarnock, gave a report 

 on Australian and New Zealand trees and plants grown on 

 the east coast of Arran. He said : — 



The island of Arran enjoys a climate in which the severity 

 of winter is as little felt as in any part of Britain. The 

 east coast is specially mild, as here cold frost}' winds are 

 tempered by crossing the sea, while their force is destroyed 

 by the high mountains of the Goatfell range rising immedi- 

 ately from the coast to a height of 2,866 feet, which so 

 lift up the wind, that trees along the coast instead of 

 being scourged, actually in full luxuriance overhang the 

 sea at high tide. He had therefore confined the experi- _ 

 ments he had been kindly permitted to make, to this side 

 of th-' island. The measurements were taken in the begin- 

 ning of August, and unless otherwise mentioned, are made 

 5 feet from the ground. 



Gum Trees. — The first place is due to the Gums, as these 

 are the loftiest trees in the world. Fortunately my list 

 includes two of the. most notable species — the Blue Gum. 

 growing to the height of 330 feet, and famous for its 

 sanatory properties; aud the Almond-leaved Cum, which 

 grows in Australia to the height of 430 feet. 



Eucalyptus globulus (Blue Gum), at Lamlash.— Girth, i 

 foot 7.'. inches; height, about 30 trot. Another at Stra- 

 bane, Brodick, was planted this sp 



Eucalyptus amygdalina, Corrie i Mi l-leaved Gum), 25 ' 



feet high, 11 inches in girth. 



lyptus coriacea (White Gum), Lamlash.— The 

 of this G d in the spring of 1879. The tree 



is nov 1 1 Feet 6g inches in height, with aj 



Eucalyptus Gunnii (Mountain Wl Lamlash, 3 



feel 10 inches in height. 

 Eucal yptus alpiua (Alpine Gum), Corrie, 3 feet Iu height. 



With the exception of the blue and the alpine these species 

 are also growing at the Rev. Dr. Story's, Roseneath ; Mr. 

 Scoular6, Tighnabruaich ; and at Balinakill, Kintyre. Their 

 hardihood will thus be further tested. In Arran not a leaf 

 of the White Gum (E. coriacea) was even browned in the 

 severe winter of 1879-80. This year at the Forestry Ex- 

 hibition I saw branches of these and other Gums from 

 Antilles, in the south-west coast of France. They were 

 not a whit more luxuriant than similar branches in Arran, 

 though the rate of growth at Antibes is three or four 

 times greater. 



Cabbaye Palms.— The Drac.-enre (Oordylines) are favourite 

 plants in Australia, avenues being formed of them as at 

 IJallarat Botanic Gardens. They grow in Arran in the utmost 

 luxuriance, aud have never been even browned by frost. 



Oordyline indivisa, 12 feet 10 inches high (including 

 leaves), 1 foot 5 inches girth 18 inches from the ground ; 

 leaves 3 feet 10 inches in length, 2 inches in breadth. 



Oordyline Veitchii, 9 feet 11 inches high, 1 foot 4 inches 

 girth at 12 inches from the ground ; leaves 2 feet 11 inches 

 iu length by 1| inch broad. 



Cordyline australis, 9 feet 7 inches high, 11 inches girth 

 at 12 inches from the groun I ; leaves 3 feet 7 inches long 

 and lj inch broad. 



As these Oordylines are in perfect health and growing 

 rapidly, it may be expected that they will bloom ere long. 

 The specimen of 0. indivisa was sown in 1872; the others 

 were given him at a later date. 



Tree Ferns. — So far as he was aware the Island of Arran 

 is the only place in Britain_ where Tree Ferns altogether 

 unprotected grow luxuriantly in the open air. Three species 

 have been tried. Cyathea dealbata stood a winter, but was 

 stolen the following summer. The two growing at present 

 at Dicksonia antarctica, 1 foot 11 inches high, girth 2 feet 



3 inches ; has a crown of sixteen fronds, each about 5i 

 feet in length by 1 foot 8 inches in breadth. Dicksonia 

 squarrosa, 7 inches high, 10 inches in girth, fronds 2 feet 

 8 inches in length by 1 foot 3 inches in breadth. Dicksonia 



antarctica was planted in 1867, when it was very small 



about the size of a plant of Oystopteris fragilis. It was 

 ten years before its stem began to grow in height, having 

 in this time acquired its full girth. Dicksonia squarrosa 

 was planted in 1877, and had even then a stem of about 



4 inches in height. It is in a colder situation than D. 

 antarctica, and was accidentally much injured a summer ago. 



Todea superba and Todea hymenophylloides (not Tret 

 Ferns) both grow well. 



Beef woods: Oasuarina equisetifolia (He-Oak), 10 feet 10i 

 inches in height, was planted in 1882, whin it was 8 1 feet 

 high. He hoped by another year to try E. quadrivalvis 

 (She-Oak) and E. suberosa (Cork Oak), of both of which 

 he had specimens. 



Pittosporums : Pittosporum tenuifolium, planted this year 

 iu Brodick Castle High Garden. 



Ilrambles : Rubus australis, planted this year in the Bro- 

 dick Castle High Garden on a north wall, where it is grow- 

 ing admirably, and has a more tropical apDearance than 

 any plant in the garden, its leaves being even finer than 

 those of Aralia Veitchii and much more curious, as they 

 are studded over with little white prickles. They would 

 form a beautiful fringe to a bouquet. If abundant in Aus- 

 tralia its innumerable prickles must render it a perfect 

 torment iu the bush, for they are sharp and turned back 

 and will catch and hold and tear. 



Wattles: Acacia melanoxylon I the Black-wood of Austra- 

 lia). This tree, so valuable as an ornamental timber in 

 Australia, had not a leaf browned by the severe winters 

 four or five years ago. It grew most luxuriantly, which 

 proved its destruction, as it was blown over by the storms 

 of last winter. A. pyenantha (Golden or Broad-leaf Wattle, 

 a young plant in Capt. Bonn's garden, Lamlash, is unin- 

 jured. A. decurrens (Black or Feather-leaf Wattle . , ; , 

 in height, in ('apt. Sunn's garden, Lamlash. This is a 

 most beautiful plant. 



'I'll'- Bottle Tree (Brachychiton diversifolium).— This cari- 

 ous plant receives its name from its stem at the base 

 swelling into the shape of a bottle. He had the promise 

 of one of these Australian Bottles for .Arran. 



Grass Tree (Xanthorrh: a -This very re- 



'■! ■■ plan! see Balfour's Class B , pp. 92 



130) is verj rare in this country, though well-known 



in the plains of Australia. Through the kindness of a friend 



