36 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



Arachis hypogsea, Linne*.* 



Brazil. The "Earth-nut, Pea-nut or Ground-nut." The seeds of 

 this annual herb are consumed in a roasted state, or used for the ex- 

 pression of a palatable oil, which is not readily becoming rancid. The 

 plant is a very productive one, and yields a very quick return. It 

 ranks also as a valuable fodder-herb ; the hay is very nutritious, much 

 increasing the milk of cows. A light somewhat calcareous soil is 

 best fitted for its growth. On such soil 50 bushels may be ob- 

 tained from the acre, but Mr. Bernays notes the return up to 120 

 bushels, the weight of which ranging from 25 to 32 Ibs. In 1880 the 

 pea-nut-crop in the Southern United States came to 2,820,000 bushels, 

 representing a value of 517,000. 



Aralia cordata, Thunberg. 



China. The young shoots provide an excellent culinary vegetable. 



Aralia Ginseng, Decaisne and Planchon. (Panax Ginseng, Meyer.) 



China and Upper India, ascending to 12,000 feet. This herb 

 furnishes the celebrated Ginseng-root, so much esteemed as a stimu- 

 lant by the Chinese, the value of which however may be overrated. 

 'The root, to be particularly powerful, needs probably to be obtained 

 from high mountain-elevations. The species is closely related to the 

 North- American A. quinquefolia (Decaisne and Planchon). 



Araucaria Bidwilli, Hooker.* 



Southern Queensland. Bunya-Bunya. A tree, attaining 250 feet 

 in height, with a fine-grained, hard and durable wood, particularly 

 valuable for furniture 5 it shows its beautiful veins best when polished. 

 The seeds are large and edible. Growth in height at Port Phillip, 

 30-40 feet in 20 years, the big strobiles ripening there. 



Araucaria Brasiliensis, A. Richard.* 



Southern Brazil. A tree to 180 feet high, producing edible seeds. 

 Dr. Saldanhada Gama reports, that the wood makes spendid boards, 

 masts and spars, and that the tree also yields a good deal of turpentine. 

 Except a few palms (Mauritia, Attalea, Copernicia), this seems the 

 only tree, which in Tropical South- America forms forests by itself. 

 (Martius.) 



Araucaria Cookii, R. Brown. 



New Caledonia, where it forms large forests. Height of tree to 

 200 feet. Habit and technical value similar to that of A. excel sa. 

 Growth at Port Phillip not quite 30 feet in 20 years. 



Araucaria Cunninghami, Alton.* 



"Moreton-Bay Pine." Eastern Australia, between 14 and 32 

 south latitude, extending also to New Guinea, according to Dr. 

 Beccari. The tree attains a height of 200 feet, with a trunk 6 feet in 

 diameter. , Growth in .height at Port Phillip 30 to 40 feet in 20 

 years. The timber is fine-grained, strong and durable, if not exposed 



