BY J. H. MAIDEX. 761 



ifcc. Col. Spalding spaced his trees 6 ft. x G ft. and latterly 6 ft. x 7ft., 

 allowing the extra 1 ft. for traffic. He has dwarfed his trees by 

 heading them back; this affords the very great advantage of 

 enabling the gathering of the crop to be carried out without the 

 use of ladders, Arc. He has good authority for the spacing of his 

 trees as he has done; at the same time, without presuming to be 

 a coffee planter, it seems to me that too close planting involves 

 the risk of exhausting the soil and hence of opening the way to 

 disease. However, the soil of Col. Spalding's plantation is mar- 

 vellously rich, and I could see no trace of disease. 



Minor Economic Plants. 



Hovenia dulcis, " The Raisin Tree " (Rhamnete). I saw one 

 specimen. 



Leuccena glmica, Benth. (Leguminosse) is grown. 



Inocarims edulis (Leguminoste). The " Vi " tree. There is a 

 specimen from the Solomon Islands in the Melanesian Mission 

 grounds. 



Dolichos Labial), Linn.; the well-known bean, often used for 

 food. 



Caesaljnnia coriaria, Roxb. " Divi Divi," the celebrated 

 tanning plant. The pods are used. 



Indigofera Anil, Linn. This is a native of Tropical America. 

 I found a few plants at Orange Vale, probably a remnant of an 

 old experiment. It is cultivated in India as a source of Indigo, 

 together with the better known /. tinctoria (Watt, Diet. Econ. 

 Prod. India, iv. 383). The two species are closely allied. The 

 pod of /. tinctoria is '' nearly straight," and that of /. Anil is 

 "sickle-shaped." See DC, Prod. ii. 225; Hook., Fl. Brit. Ind. 

 ii. 99. 



The Chocho (Sechium ednle) flourishes well, and would grow 

 out of bounds if permitted. 



Downing wrote, " Cayenne pepper, manufactured from the 

 pods of the Capsicum grown in these gardens, has a quality and 

 flavour equal to any that can be obtained. It is in much 

 demand." It is but little grown at the present time. 



