Naturalisation in Extra- Tropical Countries. 87 



sent its first small sample of tea to the European market, in 1864 

 already 7,800,000 Ibs, but in 1877 it exported to England forty 

 million pounds, that is, as much as the whole English importation 

 thirty years ago [Burrell]. In 1889 the quantity had risen to 

 above 101,000,000 [Gow, Wilson and Stanton]. Ceylon alone 

 exported already in the commercial year 1882-3 one and a-half 

 million Ibs. of tea. According to the Journal of the Society of Arts 

 this had risen to 25,000,000 Ibs. in 1888. Of the tea consumed in 

 England in 1889, 50 per cent, came from India, 34 per cent, from 

 China, and 16 per cent, from Ceylon. Dr. Scherzer estimated the 

 Chinese home-consumption at 400,000,000 Ibs., others much higher. 

 In 1873 China exported 242,000,000 Ibs., Japan, 12,000,000 Ibs. 

 Simmonds calculates the area under tea-cultivation in China at 

 25,000,000 acres. In 1884 Great Britain imported 215,000,000 Ibs. 

 of tea, valued at ten and a half million pounds sterling ; of this 

 quantity 66,000,000 Ibs. came from India, after such a compara- 

 tively short time of culture. Three hundred Ibs. of prepared tea 

 is the average yield per acre in India, according to Dr. G. Watt. 

 Seeds of the tea-bush are now locally to be gathered in many parts 

 of Australia from plants distributed by the writer since 1859 ; and 

 for years to come the cultivation of the tea-bush, merely to secure 

 local supplies of fresh seeds, read}' to germinate, will in all likeli- 

 hood prove highly lucrative. Tea contains an alkaloid, coffein, a 

 peculiar essential oil and Boheic acid, along with other substances. 

 Calcareous manures are particularly recommended for tea-planta- 

 tions. A vast quantity of the germinable seeds of the Chinese 

 tea-shrub was distributed not only locally, but also as far as 

 Queensland, already in 1858 by the writer of this work. In the 

 colony of Victoria Chinese tea can be produced to advantage, but 

 not Assam tea. It is remarkable, that the naturally nearly inodorous 

 tea-leaves should be almost the only kind' turned in this direction 

 to account. 



Campanula Rapunculus, Linue. 



The " Rampion." Middle and Southern Europe, Western Asia, 

 North-Africa. A biennial herb, the root and leaves of which supply 

 a kind of salad during the winter-months in cold climes. 



Canavalia g-ladiata, Do Candolle. 



Within the tropics of Asia, Africa and America. This perennial 

 climber grows to an enormous height, and bears an abundant crop 

 of large edible beans, which can be used green [Sir Walter Elliott]. 

 It varies with red and white seeds, and in the size of the latter, 

 which are said to be wholesome. In Demerara the young pods are 

 used, boiled like French beans, the nearly ripe seeds like broad 

 beans, and the fully ripe seeds after boiling for mash [" Jenman]. 

 C. ensiformis (D.C.) is another variety. C. obtusifolia is decidedly 

 deleterious. 



