1843.] 
THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 131 
On Saturday next, in One smali yol., 12mo, 
Rickie O Gk BaMed 28 
ToRY. 
By Epwarp Soury, Esa. Jun., F.R-S., 
Experimental Chemist to the Horticultural Society of London, 
London; 3, Charles-street, Covent-Garden. 
Che Gardeners’ Chronicte, 
| SATURDAY, MARCH 4, 1843. 
“MEETINGS FOR THE TWO FOLLOWING WEEKS, 
Monday, Mar. 6. + Entomological Br 
lorticultural ; 
: Wuesday,Mar-7 . .. Linnean. : 
) Floricwltnral z 
Wednesday, Mar... §F.fGeological . . +) Bh Pants 
‘UMedico-Botanical + , . 8 Pm, 
Saturday, Mar.11. Royal Botanic 22] 8g eae 
Tuesday, Mar.14. . . Zoological. « » . - + 83 raat 
Wednesday, Mar.15. 2! Microscopiéal” 21 2 @ pac 
Friday, Mar.i7 "9... Botanical, =) 2) 4 
In the Guernsey Star newspaper of September last 
appeared the following statement :—‘ The splendid 
Tussack Grass is the gold and glory of the Falkland 
Islands. Every animal there feeds upon it with 
avidity, and fattens in a short time. It may be 
planted and cut like the Guinea Grass of the West 
Indies. The blades are about six feet long, and from 
200 to 800 shoots spring from one plant ; about four 
inches of the root eats like the Mountain- Cabbage ; it 
loves'a rank, wet, peat bog, with the sea-spray over it ; 
it is nutritious throughout the year, and all the 
smaller Falkland Islands are covered with it.” 
This could not fail to excite attention ; and so many 
of our correspondents have made inquiries about it, 
that we have endeavoured to ascertain what the facts 
aE pens to it. ‘ 
e ear jest notice that occurs of the plant a 
to be in Pernetty’s Voyage aux Tele ‘Mobuines, 
published in Paris in the year 1770. We are not 
acquainted with this work, but the statement contained 
in it is, we presume, the following, quoted by Burney 
in his “Collection of Voyages,” (vol. v. p. 144.)— 
Pernetty says, “‘ We were half a league distant from 
two flat islands, which, at first view, appeared as if 
covered with small copse-wood, but, as we afterwards 
discovered on landing, they were only tall Bulrushes 
or Cornflags: they grow each of them about two feet 
“sags aan feet above the ground, and are often as 
eertlons ae The culms spring from the to; 
Pout se peas long leaves, which hang down all 
weleasias ae most graceful mapner, and are them- 
tne re feet in length, These heaps, or 
of bhe Home SSN apart, but within a few feet 
generally tee we Intermediate space of ground being 
among ‘thom are of vegetation ; so that, in walking 
the ee eee are quite hidden from view, and 
Gaul, sina nee ground is a perfect labyrinth. 
ein ener and soon get fat upon this 
get it they wil ae ne they of it, that when they can 
iitheleame uch nothing else: and with horses it 
Such i 
plant. Gaudie 
ant grows is described by 
c { v. 90.) as a spongy b 
uncultivable; and , D'Uryille adds Ceara), 
anda half high, and afterwards shoot forth a tuft of 
green leaves nearly of as much height more.” 
The next trace of it is in Bougainville’s account of 
his voyage in La Boudeuse, in 1766 :—“ All the sea- 
coast,’ says this navigator, “and the islands in the 
interior of the Falklands, are covered with a plant 
which is improperly called a Cornflag ; it is, how- 
ever, a species of Grass, of the most beautiful green 
colour, and growing to the height of six feet. It 
forms a hiding-place for lions and sea-wolves, and 
served as a shelter for ourselves during our travels. A 
house is formed in a very short space of time; the 
inclined stems, when fastened together, serve as a 
roof, while the dry straw makes a tolerably good bed. 
It was with this plant that we likewise thatched our 
houses. The root is sweet and nutritious, and is pre- 
ferred by beasts to any other food.” 
Later travellers speak of it in similar terms. Gau- 
dichaud says that the base of its stem has the pleasant 
taste of the Cabbage Palm, so much esteemed in 
tropical countries. And in the account of Freycinet’s 
Voyage, p. 148, we find the following statement :— 
“ Finally, there is a plant of still greater interest, 
which furnishes nearly all the year round abundance 
of nutritious food, namely a large Grass (Festuca fla- 
bellata), which covers two-thirds of the Isle of Pen- 
guins, and other small islands in the French Bay ; 
and which, according to M. Orne, is met with in 
equal profusion on the coast of all the Falklands. 
This plant grows from four to six feet high; its 
leaves are sheathing and compressed. The interior 
of the stem, to the height of five or six inches above 
the root, is white and soft, of an agreeable flavour, 
resembling that of a Filbert. This substance consists of 
the lower sheath, with the young central leaves and 
stem firmly encased within each other. — Its flavour 
may be also compared to that of the Cabbage Palm, 
so highly esteemed.” 
The most complete account, however, that we have 
seen, is the following, which Sir William Hooker has 
been so obliging as to extract from the letters of his 
son, Dr. Joseph Hooker, now with Captain James 
Ross's expedition :—“ Near the sea-coast a very noble 
Grass grows in immense abundance, called Tussac. 
It forms quite an extraordinary feature in the land- 
scape, covering immense tracts of land, especially: on 
asandy soil. Its roots form great balls, which rise 
that at its edges this hog forms in many places a cliff 
(escarpement: four-or five feet high. Dr. Hooker also 
states that the whole district is covered with peat bogs 
or grass lands. It would therefore seem as if the plant 
might be introduced _with advantage into Ireland; 
that, however, is a point that cannot be determined 
otherwise than by actual experiment. 
Concerning the climate of the Falklands, we have 
tolerably exact information. D’Urville states that it is 
much more temperate than might have been expected 
from its latitude. From the observations made by him- 
self and others, he concludes that the thermometer 
scarcely rises above 15° cent. (59° Fahr.), or falls 
below zero cent. (32° Fahr.); and according to Bou- 
gainville the winter is very mild, and snow lies on the 
ground only for a short time. M, D’Urville also 
states that in 1822, at the beginnmg of December, 
the month which answers to June in Europe, the 
highest temperature observed was almost always be- 
tween 12° and 15° cent. (51° to 66° Fahr.) On the 
other hand, Sir Woodbine Parish tells us that in the 
Eastern Island, the thermometer generally ranges as 
high as 75° in summer, and sometimes falls to 26° in 
winter; he, however, confirms the French statements, 
that snow disappears in a few hours, and that ice is 
seldom above an inch thick. (Journal of Geog. Soc., iii. 
95). The days of summer are described by the same 
authority, as long and warm, with occasional showers, 
producing a rapid vegetation, All this would suit the 
west and south of Ireland well enough, but would 
hardly justify our entertaining expectations of the 
Grass succeeding in England or Scotland, except in 
particular localities, even if the plant should so far 
change its southern habits as to forget that our 
winter is its summer. 
We learn from Sir Wm. Hooker that only a few 
days since a packet of the seeds of the Tussack Grass 
was received at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, but 
they were in bad condition, and offered small promise 
of germinating ; although from the same parcel of 
seed a plentiful supply of young plants was coming 
up in Dr. Joseph Hooker's Garden at the Falklands 
where they had been drilled in rows, like Turnips 
Let us hope that some of these young plants will be 
introduced in the Ward’s Cases which have been sent 
out from Kew for the purpose. 
It is right to add that there is another sort of Tus- 
sack Grass at the Falklands, much inferior to the Fes- 
tuca flabellata, and produced, as we are informed by 
Sir Wm. Hooker, by the Carex trifida of Cavanilles. 
This is probably what is mentioned in Burney’s 
Voyages (vol. vy. p. 144) as “ A kind of Grass, a foot 
and a half high, which spreads over every part to the 
tops of the hills. The soil is of a dark-brown colour, 
and is formed into a mould by the annual decay of 
the Grass. It rises with a spring under your feet from 
the roots of the Grass being interwoven with it.” 
Those who interest themselves in procuring the 
Tussack should take care to distinguish between the 
two kinds. 
For the opportunity of publishing a view of the 
places in the Falklands, where this Grass occurs, we 
are indebted to Sir William Hooker, who has kindly 
placed at our disposal a drawing made on the spot by 
W. E. Wright, Esq. 
Iv would be difficult to name any department of 
gardening, or indeed of vegetable physiology, con- 
cerning which so little is positively known, even to 
those most conversant with such matters, as the nature 
of vegetable diseases. The number of writings on 
the subject is inconsiderable, and the information 
afforded by them still more so. Even De Candolle, 
with all the aid of his great learning, could find but 
little on which to builda theory of vegetable nosology ; 
and more recent writers have added almost nothing. 
Yet the subject is one of grave import; it does not 
concern merely the luxurious tables of the wealthy, 
but it is intimately connected with the prosperity of 
our forests and the productiveneéss of agriculture. 
From the first day of the existence of this Journal 
we have been searching for facts relating to vegetable 
disease; but we find little beyond opinions, many of 
which, absurd as they evidently are, continue to find 
their believers. If you ask aman what causes canker, 
what the gum, or whence it happens that his Potatoes 
curl and his Peaches blight, you get as many con- 
flicting explanations as you consult individuals. One 
tells you the cause is in the air, another finds itin the 
earth; “constitutional debility” satisfies one class of 
inquirers, “ peculiar habits ” a second ; while others 
Let ws, therefore, endeavour to collect evidence, 
point by point, upon the diseases which wood is heir 
to; and if our correspondents will help us, a body of 
really useful information may, it is hoped, be gradually 
secured. To do this, however, much co-operation in 
a definite manner is required. Of vague and uncer- 
tain statements we have more than enough; what we 
now want is exact,information upon particular points. 
If the advice given by us, and by Professor Henslow, 
in another place, to the farmers, is adopted by 
gardeners,—and they will do, each for himself, what 
they can, following the directions we may give them, 
as nearly as their means will permit,—we shall be sure 
to get truths for them which they cannot possibly 
obtain for themselves. 
In order to make a beginning, let us take the 
Vine, and investigate the causes of some one of its 
many diseases. Mr. Loudon, indeed, says the Vine 
has no diseases except bleeding (which js not a disease ; 
see Encycl. of Gardening, edition of 1835, p. 785) ; 
but to this, we suspect, he will hardly gain the assent of 
those gardeners who know anything of rusting, and 
