72 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



and more remunerative. Fibre further prepared by Bonsor's 

 process can be spun into the finest yarn. Mr. D. E. Martin, 

 of the Agricultural Department of Victoria, draws attention to the 

 dry method, adopted by M. Favier in Gerona, further to the several 

 machines lately constructed by M. Billiou, of Marseilles, by M. 

 Kaulek, of Paris, by M. Scheifner, of the same place, and by Don. 

 D. Priesto, in Barcelona. M. Vial's process also deserves attention. 

 Superior machines have also recently been invented in the United 

 States ; one by Mr. W. H. Murray seems particularly recommend- 

 able [See Hilgard's Bulletin, January, 1891]. By Mr. Ch. Toppan's 

 process the fibre is now easily freed from any sticky, corticating 

 substances, and can be spun and carded by ordinary cotton, and 

 wool-machinery. The fibre is strong and durable, glossy, to some 

 extent with the appearance of silk. It was known in Europe to be 

 used in Japan for ropes and cordage since Kaempfer's time, and 

 is said to be three times as strong as hemp for this purpose ; it is 

 not easily subject to decay in water. But this fine and light fibre 

 is also well adapted for a variety of textile fabrics, enduring wear 

 to an extraordinary extent, and not particularly subject to attacks 

 by insects. Yarn is already made of it by the ton in Baltimore [T. 

 Albee Smith.] The ordinary market- value of the fibre is about 40 



Eer ton ; but Dr. Royle mentions, that it has realised at times 120. 

 ately the culture of the Ramee has assumed sufficient magnitude 

 to bring the fibre into competition with, or even superiority to other 

 leading textile material. Also the leaves are useful, as they serve 

 as food for silkworms [W. T. Dyer]. Other species of Boehmeria 

 require to be tested, among them one, which was (Discovered in 

 Lord Howe's Island, namely, B. calophleba (Moore and Mueller). 



Boletus bovinus, Linne. 



Europe. Besides this species Dr. Goeppert mentions also the 

 following, as sold for food in the market of Silesia : B. circinans, 

 Persoon ; B. edulis, Bulliard ; B. luteus, Linne ; B. sapidus, Harzer ; 

 B. scaber, Bulliard ; B. subtomentosus, Linne ; B. variegatus, 

 Swartz. Dr. Cooke lauds B. sestivalis, Fries, for food. Dr. L. 

 Planchon's list of edible fungs of France includes from this generic 

 group : B. agreus, Bulliard ; B. granalatus, Linne ; B. castaneus, 

 Bulliard. Among the Victorian species one, allied to B. edulis, 

 attains a weight of 3 Ibs., and the pileus then is of 12 inches width. 

 The genus is dispersed over the globe in numerous species, many 

 doubtless fair esculents. 



Bong-ardia Rauwolfi, C. A. Meyer. 



From Greece through Turkey to the Caucasus. A perennial 

 herb, the leaves of which are utilised like culinary sorrel. 



Borassus JEthiopicus, Martins. 



Africa, from Zanzibar to Egypt. A palm of gigantic dimensions, 

 its stem attaining 9 feet in diameter at the base, or 7 feet at 4 



