and Oriental Company. The plants did fairly well, 

 for a few years, and some of them fruited and matured 

 their fruits, but they have all succumbed, chiefly owing 

 to our calcareous soil, but also to occasional spells of 

 severe weather. 



Monster a deliciosa Liebm., an Aroid from Mexico 

 and Central America, better known to our gardeners 

 as Philodendron pertusum, is commonly grown as an 

 ornamental plant in gardens and country yards. It 

 flowers in autumn, and the green fleshy spadix matures 

 usually in the following autumn. It is highly perfumed 

 and has a very sweet and delicate flavour, but leaves 

 a burning or itching sensation on the tongue and lips, 

 due to the minute needle-like crystals which adhere to 

 the fruit beneath its outer coating. This fruit is usually 

 seedless, but black seeds are sometimes produced which 

 germinate well if sown at once before they get too dry. 

 However, the Monstera is best propagated in spring 

 or summer by cuttings of the stems, including two buds 

 or eyes in each cutting, planted at a level with the soil. 



Another evergreen bush or small tree which is 

 grown chiefly for ornament is the Barbadoes gooseberry 

 \Malpighiaglabra, Order- Malpighiaceae). The plant is 

 very ornamental on account of its opposite, small 

 lanceolate shining green leaves. It has small 

 inconspicuous whitish lilac flowers borne on long stalks, 

 which are succeeded by small ribbed, tomato-like fruits 

 of a shining cherry-red colour, hanging by a long stalk. 

 The fruit contains one large, round, soft seed, by which 

 the plant is propagated. The pulp or flesh is orange red, 

 and has a sweetish flavour with a pleasant acidity. The 

 fruit matures in autumn and keeps long on the tree, but 

 is more valuable on account of its very pretty appearance 

 on the tree or on the table. The Barbadoes cherry was 

 introduced towards 1885 by the late Baron G. Uepiro 

 Gourgion who has also introduced many other orna- 

 mental or useful trees and shrubs. 



