Naturalisation in Extra-Tropical Countries. 95 



18,500,000 Ibs. The imports into Britain during 1886 were 

 230,669,292 Ibs., valued at 11,317,418. The import into Victoria 

 alone came in 1887 to 14,120,051 Ibs., valued at 694,898; while 

 Assam-tea was obtained in India to nearly ninety million Ibs. during 

 that year, Ceylon uncounted [J. B. White]. In 1840 India 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 1892 the quantity had risen to above 

 111,000,000 [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 66,000,000 Ibs. in 1892. 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-con- 

 sumption at 400,000,000 Ibs., others much higher. In 1873 China 

 exported 242,000,000 Ibs., Japan 12,000,000 Ibs. Simmonds calcu- 

 lates the area under tea-cultivation in China at 2,500,000 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 comparatively 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 distri- 

 buted by the writer since 1859 ; and for years to come the cultivation 

 of the tea-bush, merely to secure local supplies of fresh seeds, ready 

 to germinate, will in all likelihood prove highly lucrative. Tea con- 

 tains an alkaloid, coffein, a peculiar essential oil and Boheic acid, 

 along with other substances. Calcareous manures are particularly 

 recommended for tea-plantations. 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 the Chinese tea can be produced to advan- 

 tage, 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, Lhm<$. 



The " Kampion." 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 gladiata, De Candolle. 



The Sword-Bean. 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. Mr. W. 



