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species of Casuarina from Australia and a species of 

 Pancratium. 



The Filao tree has been extensively planted on the 

 Island during recent years, in plantation to supply the 

 Quarantine Station witli firewood ; in avenues to 

 shade the roads or foot paths from the too fierce rays 

 of the sun ; — to the windward of buildings^ to shelter 

 them from storms and bitingly cold winds, and in 

 general to shelter and protect the interior of the 

 Island from the cutting violence of the winds from 

 the sea, that prove disastrous here to the growth of 

 many useful plants ; —to ameliorate the climate and 

 make it as agreable and salubrious as possible to 

 those who live constantly on the Island, and also to 

 those who, by reason of the Quarantine laws of Mau- 

 ritius, are obliged to stay on the Island for a more or 

 less prolonged period. 



It is presumed, indeed there is proof, that the 

 Cocoanut tree will thrive on the Island, especially on 

 its low lying parts, and so also it is believed will Sea 

 Island Cotton, Gossypium Barbadense, particularly as 

 this plant has been found growing at several places as 

 if wild.— But both require in a greater or lesser de- 

 gree io be sheltered from storms and cutting winds. 

 The severe hurricane which occurred on the 12th and 

 13th of March 1868, destroyed a large number of the 

 Cocoanut trees which were then growing on the Is- 

 land ; and injuriously aSected others, so much that 

 many of them lingered and ultimately died, from the 

 injury inflicted on them by that gale. The condition 

 of the surviving trees has lately been much improved 

 by the protection which the Filao trees have af- 

 forded them. Although all the existing trees are old 

 they are in good health. 



To decide what plants are naturalized in the Island 



