197 



the leaf is not at present well understood. Whe- 

 ther this plant may ever become an object of cul- 

 tivation with us is very doubtful. Two plants, 

 however, have succeeded well near Inverness ; 

 they require no shelter, growing in a very ex- 

 posed situation. The specimens in the Royal 

 Botanic Garden of Edinburgh are very vigorous, 

 but have not flowered. 



The tetragonia expaiisa again, or New Zealand 

 spin age, was introduced from New Zealand by 

 Sir Joseph Banks, in 177^, an d treated as a 

 green-house plant, but has lately been found to 

 grow as freely as the kidney-bean, or nasturtium. 

 As a summer spinage, it is as valuable as the 

 orache, or even more so. Every gardener knows 

 the trouble that attends the frequent sowing of 

 the common spinage throughout the warm sea- 

 son of the year : without that trouble it is im- 

 possible to have it good, arid, without the utmost 

 care, it cannot always be obtained exactly as it is 

 wished, from the rapidity with which the young 

 plants run to seed. The New Zealand spinage, 

 if watered, or raised on a rich soil, grows freely 

 and produces leaves of the greatest succulency 

 during the hottest weather. Anderson, one of 

 its early cultivators, had only nine plants, from 

 which he says, " I have been enabled to send in 

 a gathering for the kitchen every other day since 

 the middle of June, so that I consider a bed, 

 with about twenty plants, quite sufficient to give 

 a daily supply, if required, for a large table." 

 Near Exmouth, this invaluable addition to 



