October 29. 1888. ) 



JOURNAL OF HOKTICULTUKB AND COTTAGE QABDENBB. 



32t 



varieties. In an adjoining orohard were standard trees pro- 

 ducing ten, twenty, or more bushels each ; but higli winds had 

 done much dftmage, by blowing down large (juanlities of tlie 

 best fruit. In taking a hasty glance at this orchard, a line 

 healthy Ilibston I'ippin Apple tree, of large size, was pointed 

 out to me. I was much surprised at this, for it is rarely that 

 we meet with this popular variety in Rood condition, the trees 

 being usually in a more or less diseased state, with dead boughs 

 and spotted fruit, but ut this place it had all the freshness of 

 other kinds. 



Notwithstanding the extremely dry weather, there were some 

 very good vegetables. Most of the Potatoes had been taken up 

 and stored, and I was told the crop had been good for the 

 season, and as the planting had been early, they were less 

 affected by the dry weather than those planted later. A small 

 French Cabbage wa? pointed out as being much esteemed at 

 table ; it had also the good quality of not being liable to run to 

 seed, and might be planted very close together. On one of the 

 wall borders I noticed a row of Tomatoes treated exactly like 

 Peas, being trained to stakes, and bearing and ripening their 

 fruit well. A small Cabbage Lettuce, of continental origin, was 

 also said to possess the properly of not running too early to 

 seed in dry, hot weather, as 60 many of our Lettuces did last 

 .Tuly. 



It is seldom that one enters a garden where there is such an 

 abundance, variety, and excellence of produce, as at The Mote, 

 and the greatest credit is due to Mr. Luckhurst and his sons, 

 one of whom. I believe, is now associated with him in its ma- 

 nagement. I have no doubt that the fine Peach trees will be 

 equally well cared for in future, and will remain for many 

 years a living proof that the climate of this country has not 

 deteriorated in all places so as to prevent this tree from thriv- 

 ing, and its frnit ripening, in the open air. — J. Bobson. 



SUBTROPICAL PLANTS AT BATTERSEA PARK. 



TiTB following are the heights attained this year by a few of 

 the plants employed in the subtropical department, Batteraea 

 Park : — 



Ferdin-mda eminens 12 feet 



Wigandia caracasana 8 feet 



Polyinnia grandis ,. 6 feet 



Canua peruviana 11 fett 



ij. Aniiffii 12 feet 



Canna'maxiraa fl feet 



C. Van Kouttei 9 f sat 



.Solaunm laciniatuni 8 feet 



Hicinus, several varieties. .18 feet 

 Musa enseto 15 feet 



The stem of one plant of Musa cnsete measured 1 feet 5 inches 

 in ciicomference at the ground, and 2| feet at 3 feet higher up. 



REPORT ON THE BRISBANE BOTANIC 

 GABDENS. 



Mk. Walter Hii.l, Colonial Botanist and Director of the 

 Ijrisbane Boianic Garden, Queen.sland, has made his annual 

 report, dated March '2Stb, 18(J8. The following is an extract ;— 



" In the. experimental deparlmeut of the gronnds, I would first refer 

 to the cortical fibrous class of plauts. Among the most important of 

 these is the Urtioa nivea, or China Grass Cloth plant, which has in 

 point of cultivation, been attended with far more success than was ex- 

 pected. The situation selected for the purpose was anything but the 

 best ; and tor the purpose of testing its adaptability to a Queensland 

 climate, no attention was paid to it beyond its original planting. 

 Notwithstanding this, the tenacity and rapidity of its Rrowth has been 

 surprising, and the only thing left to deplore is the lack of mechanical 

 appUances in the colony which would prepare the fibre as an article of 

 commercial value. In connection with this snliject, I would acknow- 

 ledge the receipt of a report on ' The Cultivation and Preparation of 

 the China Grass Plant,' which was accompanied by a circular emanat- 

 ing from the Home Secretary tor the Colonies, and which was kindly 

 forwarded to nie by His Excellency the Acting Governor, ' for my in- 

 formation.' My experiments, however, with the plant, satisfy me' that 

 the Queensland climate is far better adapted for it than that of China, 

 to which it is indigenous ; for while iu that counti7 the plant has to 

 be constantly watched and tended, watered, weeded, and protected 

 from the cold. &c.. here, as I have already shown, after planting the 

 roots about the month of November, no further consideration is re- 

 quisite to develope its perfect maturity. The other fibrous plants, 

 which demand a passing notice in this report, are the Jute (Corchoms 

 capsnlaris), and the Sun Hemp (Crotalariajnncea). These plants, also, 

 are valaablo in a commercial point of view, thrive luxuriantly, and 

 mature most rapidly, and, like the Grass plant, require little care or 

 attention. The cultivation of the Indigo plant (Indigofera tinctoria), 

 has proved thoroughly satisfactory. A sample has been submitted for 

 manufacture, and the result proves that this valuable article of mer- 

 chandise will yield, both in quality and quantity, as well in Queens- 

 land as in the East Indies. If attention be paid to the proper season 



for sowing it, like the fibroas plants, it requires but little earo, and, 

 like them, arrives rapidly at maturity. It is to be hoped that ore 

 long the cultivation of Indigo will engage the attention of Queensland 

 at^rieulturists, as thu never-failing market which it commands, and tho 

 standard value whioh it maintains, will, with tho other recommeuda- 

 tiom* suggested, doubtless rcuder it an important article of Queensland 

 industry and wealth. A sample of the China 'i'o.i (Thea Bohea), has 

 also been manufactured from plants grown in tho gardens. Although 

 it has not had time to season {three months, at least, being deemed 

 necessary for this pm*pose), it has been pronounced a very fair article 

 by judges who have tried a decoction of it, and that not many days 

 after its manufacture. It thrives best on undulating lands, and if tho 

 situation selected be propitious, any further consideration for its 

 development may be regarded as secondary. As far as my knowledge 

 of the plant extends, an experience of eleven years in this colony, 

 justifies me iu pronouncing it as iu every way adapted to the climate 

 of (Queensland. Samples of the berry from the Coffee plant (Coffea 

 arabica), grown ui the gardens, have been submitted to manufacture 

 with most satisfactory results. The plant has proved itself to be easy 

 of cnltivation, and its treatment, iu comparison with the Tea plant, 

 only differs inasmuch as it requires a greater degree of shelter from 

 the westerly winds. It may be ranked as one of Queensland's import- 

 ant and successful prodncts. 



*' In my last report I had occasion to refer to three distinct species 

 of the Cinchona plant, imported from .lava, which I planted in a 

 favourable situation. One species (Cinchona calisaya). is now flower- 

 ing, which I interpret as farther evidence that the climate and soil of 

 Queensland are well adapted for its successful cultivation. 



" The eight varieties of Sugar Cane, imported from Java at the same 

 time as the Cinchonas, are thriving well, and in tho rapidity of their 

 growth seem to outvie nine other varieties, which have been imported 

 from other countries, and which have been under cultivation in the 

 gardens for some years past. I am unable to state confidently any- 

 thing further in praise of tho .Tava canes until such time as the 

 usual mannfactnring process shall determine the pcr-centage of their 

 yield of saccharine matter. 



'Among other plants introduced from Java last year, I may refer 

 to the Vanilla (\'auilla aromatica), the Bitter Wood (Quassia amara), 

 the Chocolate or Cocoa (Theobroma cacao), the Gam Elastic or Caout- 

 chouc (Siphonia elastica), six varieties of Mangoes, and six varieties of 

 the Plantain, all of which arc giving indications of successful acclima- 

 tisation. The latter are now in fruit, and if generally distributed in 

 the colony will become popular as an article of food. Although I 

 have been enabled to speak in tlattering terras of the many different 

 productions, there are still specimens of others in the gardens which, 

 I have reason to believe, would flourish far better in lower latitudes — 

 viz., the Maugostan (Garcinia luaugostana), the Clove fCaryophyllus 

 aromaticusj, the Nutmeg (Myristica moschata), and the Bread Frnit 

 (-■Vrtocarjtus incisa). 



" The following is an enumeration of such trees and shrubs as have 

 flowered and fruited for the first time in the gardens — viz., Cocos 

 plumosa, Areca lutescens, Tectona grandis, DiUeiiia speciosa, Brownea 

 coccinea, Cinchona calisaya, Siphonia elastica, Quercus spicata. Gar- 

 denia Stanleyana^ Gardenia Bothmaunia, Ithododendron jasmini- 

 tlorum. &c.'' ''V.v /-.^i-lv 



GOLD AND BRONZE PELARGONIUMS 



" W. B. G." (page 2i2), is perfectly correct, that Mrs. Mil- 

 ford, ite., were in tho market long before Beauty of Oalton, 

 hut it must be remembered that the former has but a very 

 faint zone compared to the latter, and, correctly speaking, 

 neither is now worth growing ; for the improvement in this 

 class of Pelargonium has been very rapid iu the last two 

 years, and it is difEcult to say which is the best, as so mucli 

 depends on the way they are grown. However, enough has 

 been seen of all the varieties sent out up to May, 1868, to 

 justify saying which has been the most efiective throughout 

 the late extremely hot and dry weather. " W. B. G." appears 

 to have taken all his experience from Battersea Park, and from 

 some cause, probably from over-watering when the sun was 

 upon them, they have there looked worse as regards colour 

 and definement of their zones than any I have seen this year. 

 Had "W. B. G." seen them at Chiswick, planted in some 

 round beds, where one could examine them minutely, and draw 

 back as far as one liked to see the effect at a distance, he would 

 have been of a very different opinion. 



As regards Beauty of Calderdale being better adapted for 

 pots, a connoisseur friend of mine described it to be the most 

 effective of the whole, and so far as regards the bright, bronze 

 zone, there can be no doubt of it, and the habit is all that 

 could be wished for in a bedder. Model is of dwarfer growth, 

 and better fitted for outer lines. It is perfectly distinct, and I 

 much question if there is another Bicolor, Sibjl and Criterion 

 excepted, with a more regular and better defined zone than 

 Model ; and there was not much deficiency of yellow, although 

 it wa^, perhaps, not quite so intense as in some of this year's 



