26 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Ailantus grlandulosa, Linne. 



South-Eastern Asia. A hardy deciduous tree, reaching 60 feet 

 in height, of rather rapid growth and of very imposing aspect in 

 any landscape. Particularly valuable on account of its leaves, 

 which afford food to a silkworm (Attacus Cynthia) peculiar to this 

 tree. Wood extremely durable, pale-yellow, of silky-lustre when 

 planed, and therefore valued for joiners' work ; it is tougher than 

 that of oak or elm, easily Avorked, and not liable to split or warp. 

 In Southern Europe this tree is much planted for avenues. Valu- 

 able also for reclaiming coast-sands, and to this end easily propa- 

 fated by suckers and fragments of roots, according to Professor 

 argent. The growth of the tree is quick even in poor soil, biit 

 more so in somewhat calcareous bottoms Thrives on chalk 

 [Vasey]. Professor Meehan states, that it checks the spread of 

 the rose-bug, to which the tree is destructive. In Norway hardy 

 to latitude 63 2& N. [Schuebeler], but suffers from frost in youth. 

 The bark is used in the Levant as a vermifuge medicine. Goats 

 will not devour saplings of this tree. 



Aira caespitosa, Linne. 



Widely dispersed over the globe, reaching as indigenous also 

 Australia. A rough fodder-grass, best utilized for laying dry any 

 moist meadows ; affords fair pasturage, if periodically burnt down 

 [J. Stirling], Extends to 71 7 ; K in Norway [Schuebeler]. A. 

 Kingii, A. antarctica and A. Magellanica (J. Hooker) are among 

 nutritive congeners from extra-tropic South-America, the first 

 particularly for cattle, the two other more for sheep [Hieronymus]. 



Akebia quinata. Decaisne. 



Japan. A shrubby climber. This, as well as A. lobata (Decaisne) 

 of the same country, bears rather large sweet fruits. The last- 

 mentioned species extends as an indigenous one to China. Both 

 have early and very fragrant flowers. 



Albizzia basaltica, Bentham. 



Eastern sub-tropic Australia. A small tree. The wood praised 

 by Mr. P. O'Shanesy for its beautiful reddish color and silky lustre. 

 Cattle like the foliage. As a genus Pithecolobium differs no more 

 from Albizzia than Vachellia from Acacia or Cathartocarpus from 

 Cassia. The oldest generic name is Zygia, but no species was early 

 described under that name. 



Albizzia bigemina, F. v. Mueller. (Pithecolobium bigemimim, Maitius.) 

 India, up to Sikkim and Nepal, ascending in Ceylon to 4,000 feet 

 Desirable for Australian forestry on account of its peculiar dark 

 and hard wood. Another congener, A. subcoriacea (Pithecolobium 

 subcoriaceum, Thwaites), from the mountains of India, is deserving 

 of utilitarian cultivation with numerous other tall species. 



