326 ' [Assembly 



vinces, has a great reputation as feed for sheep, but hardly de- 

 serves it. Dr. Royle thinks that it may have been one of the 

 kinds of the Sylphiou of the Greeks, described by Arrian (who 

 wrote in the second century) as groviing only with pines on Par- 

 opamis, where it was browsed on by numerous flocks of sheep 

 and cattle. Lieutenant Burns, on crossing in the direction of 

 Alexander's route, found this in the same place, greedily cropped 

 by sheep, and even eaten by his fellow-travellers. The natives of 

 the north of Asia esteem highly the skinned root of the sweet sub- 

 acrid Heracleum Sphondylium. 



Assafcctida may be cultivated here. Burns fownd the plants 

 growing on the mountains of the Hindoo Koosh, where they are 

 regarded as highly nutritious food for sheep. 



Oppoponax is the concrete juice of the plant called Oppopanox 

 Chironum, which resembles the parsnip, and inhabits the Levant. 

 We should endeavor to grow the sandal wood — (Santalum Album) 

 — ^highly valuable for many uses — considered almost sacred by the 

 East Indian idolators — they burn it as frankincense before their 

 idols. Its oil has been held next only to that of roses as a per- 

 fume. 



The Quandang tree, of New Holland bears nuts as sweet to the 



natives as almondy ave to us. 



Thou.^auds of others may be mentioned, all of which should 

 command the care ittid growing of tliis mighty continent, con- 

 taining, as it does, all tlie climates and conditions of half a world. 

 If Frederic the Great was here, he would (instead of spending,, as 

 he tiid, $l,500,Ol'O, on his little Prussia, ibr agriculture alone,) 

 spend a hundred millions to make this half world the wonder of 

 the world for its agricultural glories. 



LauracjB — Laurels— The laurus nobilis has aromatic leaves, 



chieiiy u:.;:d by confectioners. 



Camphor of China is obtained from tlie wood, branches and 

 leaves of tlie cinnamon trees, in some species of which the roots 

 are so much cmtaminated with it as, to render it unfit for spice. 

 The camphor is obtained by dry distillation. Formosa yields largely 



