500 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



grain-plants for sub-arctic and sub-alpine regions. In 4 Norway it can 

 be grown as far north as lat. 69 30' [Schuebeler]. Ought to become 

 one of the principal culture-plants also in the Australian Alps. There 

 are annual and biennial varieties, while a few allied species, hitherto 

 not generally used for fodder or cereal culture, are perennial. The rye, 

 though not so nutritious as wheat, furnishes a most wholesome well- 

 flavored bread, which keeps for many days, and is most extensively 

 used in Middle and Northern Europe and Asia. This cereal more- 

 over can be reared in poor soil and cold climates, where wheat will no 

 longer thrive. In produce of grain, rye is not inferior to wheat in 

 colder countries, while the yield of straw is larger, and the culture 

 less exhaustive. It is not readily subject to disease, and can be grown 

 on some kinds of peaty or sandy or moory ground. The sowing 

 must not be effected at a period of much wetness. Wide sand- 

 tracts would be uninhabitable, if it were not for the ease of pro- 

 viding human sustenance from this grateful corn. It dislikes moist 

 ground. Sandy soil gives the best grain. It is a very remarkable 

 fact, that for ages in some tracts of Europe rye has been prolifically 

 cultivated from year to year without interruption. In this respect 

 rye stands favorably alone among alimentary plants. It also 

 furnishes in cold countries the earliest green fodder, and the return 

 is large ; but in properly choosing the season it can be brought to 

 mature even in Central Australia [Rev. H. Kempe]. Dr. Sonder 

 observed in cultivated turf-heaths with much humus, that the spike- 

 lets produce three or even four fertile florets, and thus each spike 

 will yield as many as 80 beautiful seeds. Langethal recommends for 

 argillaceous soils a mixture of early varieties of wheat and rye, the 

 united crops furnishing grain for excellent bread. When the rye- 

 grains get attacked by Cordyceps purpurea (Fries) or similar species 

 of f ungs, it becomes dangerously unwholesome ; but then also a very 

 important medicinal substance namely, Ergot is obtained. The 

 biennial Wallachian variety of rye can be mown or depastured prior 

 to the season of its forming grain. In Alpine regions Wallachian 

 rye is sown with pine seeds, for shelter of the pine seedlings in the 

 first year. Rye-grain is also extensively used for the distillation of 

 gin. Rye-straw serves as paper-material. 



Sechium edule, Swartz. 



Central America. The Chocho or Chayota. The large starchy 

 root of this climber can be consumed as a culinary vegetable, while 

 the good-sized fruits are also edible, and are very abundantly pro- 

 duced. They may be boiled like vegetable marrow or stewed with 

 sugar [Branfill Harrison]. The fruit often germinates before it drops. 

 The plant bears even in the first year, and may ripen 100 fruits in a 

 season. Cultivated in Jamaica up to 5,000 feet [W. Fawcett]. It 

 comes to perfection in the warmer parts of the temperate zone. Bore 

 fruit in the Botanic Gardens of Melbourne many years ago. Produces 

 a fibre of some textile value. Chayota edulis (Jacquin) is the oldest 

 binary name. 



