■64 NATURALISED AND ACCLIMATISED PLANTS, ETC. 



The loquat [Eriohntnja japonica) yields much better fruit 

 in Brisbane than in Japan, its native country. Some plants 

 produce best in their home. Nowher.^ such splendid custard 

 apples, cherimoya, and sour sop> can be obtained as in Vera 

 C!rnz and Rio de Janeiro The Chinese litehis {Neplwlium litchi) 

 are best in China. The date produces well in Dr. Bancroft's 

 garden here, but does not possess the delicate taste and sweet- 

 ness of those grown on the Canary Islands. Like the date palm, 

 many plants become easily acclimatised and grow well, but never 

 produce a first-class fruit. In Colombo the oranges are hard and 

 sonr, the pineapples dry and tasteless, and so is the passion fruit. 

 In Japan cherries do not thrive at all, grapes are only middling and 

 not sweet, pears and apples, though the best varieties have been 

 selected for acclimatisation, are not to be compared with ours 

 from Tasmania and the Darling Downs. At the same time it 

 <3an be laid down as a rule that all Japanese plants will do well in 

 the southern coast districts of England. There is a climber 

 growing in Japan belonging to the order of Berber'uleae, with 

 ternate leaves [Akehia lohata) ; the fruit looks like a small cylin- 

 drical melon ; the fragrant pulp contains many seeds, and 

 is very cooling, so that the fruit comes on the table in the 

 fashionable hotels of the cities. The plant — if not here already 

 — deserves to be acclimatised. 



Mexico produces the best radishes in the worH, juicy and 

 tender, of a pretty flesh colour and more than a foot long. The 

 Japanese radishes, called " daikon," while of a monstrous size, 

 up to a weight of 501bs., are of a disagreeable taste. 



In acclimatisation, nothing is better than experiment, 

 frequently quite unexpected results are obtained. 



The Paraguay tea grows well around Brisbane, and produces 

 leaves in abundance. It is a pity we cannot make the proper 

 use of it. People are too refined here. In South America they 

 have little gourds, dried and hollowed. The powdered leaves 

 are then put in up to the margin, and sugar and hot water are 

 added. Only one gourd, to which a small tube is attached, is 

 needed for a company of 10 or 12 persons. They dip the small 

 tube in and suck the liquid slowly into the mouth ; nobody 

 gets much and nobody must take much, as tube and all must 

 pass to the neighbour, till all have their share. No wonder 

 consumption is spreading horribly in South America. In 

 Uruguay I examined the leaves of Ilex pitra(/uaifensis and found 

 them to contain a much higher per centage of caffeine than 



