220 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



for carved moulds and for wooden letters in large 'prints ; used in 

 preference to other kinds for butter-casks ; excellent for fuel, and 

 particularly valued for smoking meat ; it is of rather difficult cleavage, 

 great compactness and of considerable strength, and resists great 

 pressure. The oil pressed from the nuts is palatable and wholesome. 

 Beech-tar contains a considerable proportion of paraffine ; the ashes 

 from any portion of this tree are rich in phosphate of lime. For 

 trimming into copse-hedges many give preference to a purple-leaved 

 variety for show. An allied Beech, Fagus Sieboldii (Endlicher), 

 grows in Japan. In the warmer temperate zones all these could only 

 be grown to advantage in springy mountain-forests. How very long 

 some kinds of timber, when excluded from access of air, may remain 

 preserved, is demonstrated by the fact, that beneath the foundation of 

 Savoy-place, in London, piles and planks of Beech, Chestnut, Oak 

 and Elms were found in a state of almost perfect preservation after 

 650 years. 



Fatsia papyrifera, Bentham. (Aralia papyrifera, Hooker.) 



Island of Formosa. The rice-paper Plant, hardy in the lowlands 

 of Victoria, and of scenic effect in garden-plantations. Introduced 

 into Victoria in 1854 by the writer. The pith furnishes the 

 material for the so-called rice-paper, also for some sorts of solah- 

 hats. 



Ferula alliacea, Boissier. 



Persia, up to 7,000 feet. A smaller plant thftn the following 

 species, but yields the best quality of Assa foetida, mostly used 

 in India and known there as "Hing" [Watt]. 



Ferula foetida, Regel. (Scorodosmafoetidum, Bunge.) 



Persia, Afghanistan and Turkestan. This very tall perennial 

 herb yields the ordinary medicinal assa foetida of European com- 

 merce. In India it is known as "Hingra" and considered inferior 

 to that from the preceding species [Dr. Gr. Watt]. F. Assa foetida, 

 Linne, is a species of doubtful definition. Ferula Narthex, Boissier 

 (Narthex Assa foetida, Falconer), furnishes a very similar drug in 

 Thibet. The cultivation of these plants in adequate climes seems 

 not surrounded by any difficulties. 



Ferula galbaninua, Boissier. 



Persia; on mountains 4,000 to 8,000 feet high. This tall peren- 

 nial herb might be transferred to other sub-alpine regions, for 

 obtaining locally from it the gum-resin galbanum. 



Ferula longifolia, Fischer. 



Southern Russia. The long aromatic roots furnish a pleasant 

 vegetable [Dr. Rosenthal]. 



