1886.] HOW LUMBERING IS CAItRlED ON. 761 



repeated attempts to cultivate tlie tree in and around Cape Town 

 have, it is said, failed. 



With regard to natural means of dispersion, the silver tree 

 exhibits a very singular adaptation of the withered perianth, which 

 doubtless assists in conveying the seeds short distances, at all 

 events. Miss North's painting shows some plumed bodies floating 

 away from the opened cones, which puzzled us much until we had 

 examined herbarium specimens, and ascertained what they were. 

 The strongly-bearded or plumose, four-lobed, finally scarious perianth 

 breaks away from the base of the light, one-seeded nut, the lobes 

 still cohering by their tips, and forming an orifice through which the 

 persistent capitate style does not slip. When the fruit is quite 

 ripe and the weather dry and sunny, the four lobes of the perianth 

 spread outwards from below, and the winds carry them away, bear- 

 ing the seed-vessel hanging by the tip of the style ; the withered 

 perianth thus forming, as Dr. Marloth observes, an admirable break- 

 fall. Such a contrivance or provision is unique so far as we know, 

 but of course much remains to be learnt in this direction. 



In habit of growth the silver tree bears some resemblance to a 

 stout pine or arauearia, and the cone-like aggregation of the seed- 

 vessel adds to the likeness. It is, however, of comparatively small 

 stature, not exceeding 40 feet in height, even in the most favourable 

 situations. The male and female flowers of all the species of 

 Leucadcndron, and the allied South African genus, Aulax, are borne 

 on difierent plants, and in consequence of the cones being persistent, 

 the females are readily distinguished from the males. This is very 

 striking in Leucadcndron ijlcdyspcrmum, an expanse of which is 

 represented in one of Miss North's paintings. 



The silvery, soft, downy leaves of the silver tree are crowded, 

 and lie almost flat on the branches, like slates on a roof, each leaf 

 partly covering several others. This down is so dense that it is 

 easy to write or paint upon it when the leaves have been dried ; 

 and leaves thus manipulated are among the first curiosities sent 

 home by Europeans arriving at the Cape. — W. B. H. in " Gardeners' 

 Chronicle." 



HOW LUMBERING IS CARRIED OXr' 



LITTLE is known of the labour expended on a common deal 

 board before it finds its way into some article of domestic 

 use. To illustrate the toil expended on this great staple, though 

 lightly treated, article, the following sketch of lumbering and 

 * From Canadian Forests. 



