68 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



for the latter indispensable. Fit for even poor or moory or recently 

 drained land, though not so well adapted for sandy soil as rye, nor 

 well available for calcareous ground ; resists wet weather better than 

 other cereals ; best chosen as first crop for inferior land, when newly 

 broken up ; middling grassy soil is particularly suited for Oats ; in 

 rich ground more prolific for green fodder. It succeeds in rotation 

 after every crop, though variously as regards yield, and best after 

 clover. In volcanic soil of the Victoria-colony as much as 75 bushels 

 of Oats have been obtained from an acre in one harvest, and in most 

 favorable places in New Zealand exceptionally even double that 

 quantity. In culture it extends not quite so far towards polar and 

 alpine regions as barley, on account of the longer time required for 

 its maturing ; yet it will ripen still at latitude 69 28' in Norway 

 [Schuebeler]. In tropical countries it can be grown for hay during 

 the cool season. Varieties with seeds, separating spontaneously 

 from the bracts (chaff) are : A. nuda, L. and A. Chinensis, Metzger, 

 the Tartarian and Chinese Oats, which are the sorts preferred for 

 porridge and cakes. Other varieties or closely allied species are : 

 A. orientalis, Schreber, which is very rich in grain, and on account 

 of the rigidity of its stem especially fitted for exposed mountain- 

 localities ; A. brevis, Roth, the short-grained Oats, which is par- 

 ticularly suitable for stable-fodder ; A. strigosa, Schreber, which is 

 a real native of Middle Europe, and deserves preference for sandy 

 soil. Russian quas-beer is made of Oats [Langethal, Brockhaus], 

 The import of Oats into Victoria during 1887 was 393,378 centals, 

 valued at 141,764. The average Oats-crop of the United States 

 in latter years has been 549,000,000 bushels. 



Averrhoa Carambola, Linn6. 



Probably to be regarded as a native of insular India, as there is a 

 Sanskrit-name for this plant. A small tree. Not hurt by slight 

 frost, except when very young. Sir Jos. Hooker noticed this small 

 tree on the Upper Indus as far as Lahore. The fruit occurs in a 

 sweet and acid variety ; the former is available for the table raw, the 

 other for preserves. That of A. Bilimbi (Linne) is of similar use, 

 especially for tarts. Both ripen in East- Australia as far south as 

 Moreton-Bay [Fred. Turner], 



Avicennia officinalis, Linn4. 



From the coasts of South-Asia to those of South-Africa, all 

 Australia, and New Zealand. It is proposed by Dr. Herm. Behr, to 

 plant this tree for consolidating muddy tidal shores. The copious 

 nectar from the flowers eagerly sought by bees. 



Azima tetracantha, Lamarck. 



From South-India to South-Africa. A hedge-bush, growing 

 freely in every kind of soil. 



