390 Eev. D. Landsborougli on 



Report of Half-Hardy Plants Growing on the East Coast 

 of Arran. By the Rev. D. Landsborough, Kil- 

 marnock. 



(Read 12tli November 1885.) 



In my report this year I refer mainly to gum trees, 

 tree ferns, tree lilies, and wattles.* 



Eucalyptus. 



No tree so fully realises the beautiful saying of Scripture, 

 " The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations," 

 as the gum trees of Australia. They heal the land by 

 drying the poisonous marsh. They heal the air by emit- 

 ting quantities of ozone to purify it, removing injurious 

 organic matter. They heal man by preventing the spread 

 of disease, by arresting the violence of fever, by allaying 

 the irritation of cough, and by giving sleep to the sleepless. 

 I am glad to be able to report that many Eucalypti grow 

 in Arran. They are as follows : — 



1. The Blue Gum {Eucalyptus glohulus). — This is the 

 best known and the most extensively planted of all the 

 species. It germinates freely, grows rapidly, and attains 

 a great height — as high as 330 feet. When young, the 

 leaves are soft, covered with a fine bloom, and diffuse 

 abundantly a camphoraceous odour. They also abound 

 in that oil which has been found so beneficial as a medicine. 

 Like most of the genus, its appearance in the earlier years 

 of growth is very different from its more advanced state. 

 Then the leaves acquire a scimitar shape, become leathery, 

 diffuse less perfume, and tlie tree is altogether less attract- 

 ive. In this country it has the disadvantage of being 

 delicate — no tree in Scotland, growing in the open air, 

 having survived the severe winter of 1880-81, except the 

 one at Craigyard, Lamlash. Sown in 1874, it is now 36 

 feet in height, and is 1 foot lOJ inches in girth. 

 Another plant grows at Strabane, Brodick. The species 

 is named from the form of the leaves when the plant is 

 young. It has not yet bloomed in Arran, nor have any of 

 the other species. 



* Unless otherwise mentioned, the girths are taken 5 feet from the ground. 



