404 



Floricidtural and Botanical Notices. 



petals [? sepals] of the flower, remind one of the colour of [the perianth of] 

 Crinum amabile, and contrast beautifully with the glossy white flowers. It is 

 a very hardy species, and flowers frequently. In a very dry season, the colour 

 is not so deep ; warm, or temperate, and showery weather brings it to the 

 highest perfection of beauty." (Bot. Reg., July.) 



In p. 349. line 4. for " Lanaria " read " Linaria." 



TJie Dividivi, or Ccssalpima Corimia, as a Tanning Plant. — A letter from 

 Jamaica, by one of the last packets, furnishes me with important information, 

 which enables me to fix with the greatest accuracy the age at which seedling 

 plants of the Cassalpim'a Coriaria come into bearing. Dr. Bancroft's words 

 are as follows : — 



" Having recently obtained some particulars concerning the dividivi, I can 

 state that it flowered in August last, for the second time, in about the fifth year of 

 its having been planted : the first time was about twelve months before. There 

 were no pods then produced, but an abundance of them last year, so that the 

 branches were bent down with them. The flowers were yellow." The letter, 

 from which this extract is taken, is dated the 17th of April, 1834. Hence the 

 first time of flowering must have been somewhere about August, 1832, and the 

 second in August, 1833. Now, upon referring to my memoranda, I find that 

 the first supply of seed I sent went by the Emulous packet, which sailed in 

 June, 1829, and reached Jamaica in the course of the following month; so that 

 the seed could hardly have been sown much earlier than August, 1829. Hence, 

 in 1832, the plants were only three years old, and in 1833 only four, not five, 

 as Dr. Bancroft, from forgetfulness, states ; though, even taking his estimate, it 

 is more favourable than that of any other staple product of the West Indies, 

 except sugar, which yields its crop in nine months : coffee, it is well known, 

 does not come into bearing in less than seven, nor cacao, in general, under 

 ten years. I shall subjoin a table illustrative of the comparative value of the 

 dividivi, as measured by that of other astringent substances, calculated from 

 the able experiments of Mr. Rootsey of Bristol, and confirmed by the results 

 of experiments made both here and at Sandwich. 





Results of the infusion of 60 grs. in 5 oz 



of water. 



Number of grains of leather 



m 



2 s 



parts of each sub- 

 stance, as deduced 

 \ from the experi- 

 ments detailed in 

 the 3d, 4th, and 

 7th columns of this 

 table. 



"s3 



° c 



3 P. 



Number o 

 matter w 



Soluble. 



r grains of 

 lich was 



Insoluble. 



Proportion per 

 which 



Soluble in 

 water. 



cent of matter 

 was 



Insoluble in 

 water. 



half an o 

 or 6 grs. c 

 stance, a 

 glass. 



Grains of 

 Leather. 



jnce of the 



f the powc 



id a soluti 



Consis 



Grains of 

 Tannin. 



infusion, 

 ered sub- 

 )n of isin- 

 ing of 



Grains of 

 Gelatine. 



Dividivi 



First 



Second 



Mean 



46 

 45-5 

 45 75 



14 



14-5 



1425 



76-6667 

 75-8333 

 76-2500 



23-3333 

 24-1667 

 23-7500 



7-5 



575 



6-625 



3 45 



2-645 



3-0475 



4-05 

 3-105 

 3-5775 



57'5 



44-836 



51-168 



Nut Galls 



First 



Second 



Mean 



35 

 36 

 35-5 



25 

 24 

 24-5 



5S'3SS3 



60 



59-166645 



41-6667 



40 



40-833355 



4 



5-25 



4-625 



1-84 

 2-415 

 2-2275 



216 

 2 835 

 2-4975 



30-6667 



40-35 



35-45835 



Sumach 



First 



Second 



Mean 



25 

 23 

 24 



35 

 37 

 36 



41-6667 

 38-3333 

 40 



58-3333 

 61-6667 

 60 



0-125- 

 melted 



0-0575 



0-0675 



0-95834 



Kino 



First 



Second 



Mean 



22 



26-5 



24-25 



38 



33-5 



3575 



36-6667 

 41-1667 

 40 4167 



63-3333 

 55-8333 

 59-5833 



melted 

 ditto 









Catechu 



First 



Second 



Mean 



40 



40-5 



40-25 



20 



19-5 



1975 



66-6667 



675 



67-08335 



33-3333 



32-5 



32-91665 



melted 

 ditto 









Oak Bark 



First 



Second 



Mean 



19 

 17 



18 



41 

 43 



42 



31-6667 

 28-33S3 

 30 



68-3333 

 61-6667 

 70 



1-75 



0-805 



0-945 



13-4167 



Cassia Fistula. — It may be well to notice, for the information of your 

 readers, that the timber of that most lovely flowering tree the Cathartocarpus 

 (Cassia) Fistula, is as valuable as its pods, so long known in medicine for their 

 pulp, being beautiful for turnery, and affording an excellent dye. I enclose 



