226 



Journal of the Department of Agriculture. 



roof, with open sides, or latticed with spars or leafless branches, would 

 approach the ideal. The layers should not be more than 15 or 18 

 inches thick, and should be shaken loose as they are placed in position. 

 The layers should be turned over and shaken loose daily until it is 

 found tliat the leaves are separating, when a gentle thrashing with a 

 pliable rod or fir-spar will separate them readily in two or three daily 

 applications. The drying takes from ten days to a fortnight, accord- 

 ing to weather conditions. Great care must be taken to avoid sweating 

 when bulked, as a considerable loss of oil is occasioned thereby. It 



Fig. .3. — Leaves of the eoTiraercial P.ucbus and of some 

 other aromatic South African Iiutaceae. 1, Barosina 

 serratifulia Wilkl., upper surface ; 2, do. under 

 surface ; 3, B. crenulata Hook., upper surface ; 4, 

 do., under surface ; .5, B. hctulimi B. & W., upper 

 surface ; 6, do., under surface ; 7, B. x opar'ia E. & Z. ; 

 8, B. PerilerueYi'Amm^v, 'd.Adpnandrafraijntnx R. 

 &; Sch. ; 10. Agathoama apicnlata Meyer ; ll, CoIpo- 

 nema pnlrhfum Hook. 7 to II, under surface. All 

 drawings magnified two diameters. (Del. Miss M. M, 

 Tar'.'.) 



is well to turn over the sacks or bales daily for a further week or so 

 before dispatching. 



The dried buchu siiould be as green as possible. A whitish colour 

 indicates that the leaves have been dried in the sun and have, in 

 consequence, lost a large amount of their nil-contents, 



