FLORA OF McNAB's ISLAND, HALIFAX, N. S. — BARBOUR. 555 



numerous, but considering the nature of the island, a greater 

 variety would have been expected, and that is by no means the 

 case. Mosses are few in variety also, while among the Equiset- 

 acece there are several species. The Conifer a are much as on 

 the mainland, though the hemlock is very rare, and I found it 

 only in one spot on the island. 



Looking now for a moment on the Phanerogames of the 

 island, it is curious to note the immense numbers of beautiful 

 violets, and a contrasting absence of their little allies, the wild 

 pansies. I saw but one specimen of the Hyper cinece, which is 

 peculiar, as they are very common on the mainland. 



The island evidently is a veritable garden, in the season, 

 for raspberries, and this brings me to suggest that it appears 

 to me that Mci^ab's Island might easily be converted to some 

 good use as a spot wherein to grow various crops for economic 

 purposes. Take, for instance, raspberries* the island is well 

 suited for their production ; they were very plentiful a'nd of good 

 size this last summer, wild as they are. With a little attention 

 what quantities could be placed on the market in Halifax ; there 

 would be little or almost no traia or transport rates to cut down 

 the producer's results. Again, from the quantities or irises grow- 

 ing on it, the island is evidently well suited for the growing of 

 them. Would it not be possible to manufacture a cheap and 

 beautiful violet ink, stain, or dye from their rich, velvet per- 

 ianths ? I obtained some good purple writing fliiid by a process 

 of extraction from some this last summer, which had the proper- 

 ty of darkening on exporsure to sun and rain. I had not time to 

 complete my experiments, however, and the effect of time on the 

 ink on paper can only be judged by how it will look in a year or 

 two's time, and under various conditions of climate, etc., so that 

 I do not intend to make public any results for the present. 



Strawberries and blueberries run wild, and what I said 

 about raspberries applies equally to the former. I think the 

 island would also yield grasses for baskets, mats and such like 



