614 
THE GARDENERS’ 
CHRONICLE. 
the lower sepals are cream-white, which shows to 
Some very fine Phaius 
sed with species which should, if Mr. 
Thorne aged in ee the seedlings, give remark- 
able results, like i 
for the vineries, Strawberry- house, and houses devoted 
to ornamenta d table-plante, &c., were all in 
excellent order. 
FORESTRY, 
STATE FORESTRY, 
Tun fact that Natal has abandoned a policy of 
progressive forest conservation is a fresh proof that 
State forestry thrives badly when left to the mercy 
* unedacated public opinion. e use the wor 
educated more in connection with the ideal form 
so education than in its ape om sense; for the true 
im of education is, w 
rely to aid in the attainment of 
individaal wealth and rank, At first sight, it seems 
a far cry from public education to forestry ; yet the 
=o of the latter is dependent upon three anne 
i eduration ie an 
ede observation, ‘and thrift. The sowing and 
crops to 
planting of 
requirements, and ~ * of the land to the 
best possible ad va 
public attention, more wen y in countries whe 
public and private arg bene are 3 identical. 
N everybody business is nobody’s business, 
y valuable institutions, calcu ted to 
Aten national prosperity, of w 
j ignora 
certain 
ee ne a tar Ar | is Hare a 
inally, Natur considerately 
provided Ne or me all i U of the habitable globe 
with a forest covering, and m with his us 
large tracts o d which cannot be profitably cul- 
ated, but which are capable of growing that 
percentage of forest growth, without which 
the health of man beast hen such 
land is already aff ested, to the 
-sense of the (which- 
1 be the owner) to keep ie 10, bat usually 
the 
ch to 
Is the industrious settler in the American back- 
woods or Australian ann to be debarred from fring 
a few hundred of forest if he wants 
a bite of grass ae his cattle? ma 
spr for a few square miles further than he 
intended, perhaps, but that is not his fault he 
reckons, and after all there is plenty of timber left, 
may shake their heads over such 
wasteful and dangerous proceedings, and frame a few 
innocuous laws to pacif y the ala 
less left to burn), and nervous people are re-assured 
such is the state of matters in thinly- oi ewe 
— which still possess the remai ast 
primeval forests, In Earope things are — 
ere, every square mile suitable for agriculture or 
D 
is followed more or less closely. But we find that 
They probably owe 
eir origin rather to the forethought or sporting 
propensities of some royal despot or autocrat than 
t Oar own Royal 
bat while the Forest Departments of other countries 
have kept in touch with technical and scientific ne 
gress, and hold ideas which harmonise with 
principles of national and rural economy, our Wo — 
and Forest Office has faithfully preserved the tradi- 
tions and spirit of W The gorgeous hunting 
pageants of kings ha ced by picnic parties 
and commoner’s Wee it is true, but the Depart- 
ment’s skill ia forestry is much the same as in the days 
of William Rafus—so far at least as practice poak We 
believe this Department has under its care a little 
over 50,000 acres, which yield an average Ae of 
8. to 28. per acre, 
yield from 10s, to 15 
and situations, 
tained, more or 
rs as public playgrounds, and any suggested change 
the management is at once denounced as Van- 
die by short-sighted lovers of Nature. But they 
farnish abundant food for reflection by those who 
gui 
the chan 
Whether agriculture will revive in the 
ad 
m industry. This means 
a large ges rg: of arable land, and also a reduction 
of the lab 
ur bill. A large proportion 
of farm beini mast consequently turn their 
ands to other work, en t is t ad, 
all well and good; but in many districts, farm work 
is almost the sole employment obtainable, and when 
As an 
0 woods and forests play an 
mpo ae ee in the national welfare, and for this 
reason, if eee an adequate forest area is 
useful, if ae ee 
Several schemes las heen lately brought forward 
for promoting 
Courageous M. P.'s w 
happy to consider any suggestions on the matter 
ee there are no fands at present available he the 
urpose. But a question we should like to see 
a and answered any good resson 
exist whv a portion of a man 
by the Woods Department should not 
e 
urplus 
8 which are at present monopolized e the 
* and would partially solve the unemployed 
Pro 
80 leer as Great Britain ignores the example set 
by all the ag 1 — of Europe, and 
fails to utilise ing unprodnctive we 
Cannot find fault with om — and dependencies 
for neglecting hi Brn their vast natural fo 
the best advan 
ə may Saat that State core A 
appears to prevent some people from seeing it 
true light. 4, C. F. 
THE VITALITY OF SEEDS 
In the course of his investigations on the bebaviw 
of matter at low temperatures, Professor Davar wu 
led to consider the effect of great cold o 
life and seeds, 
182° C., and found tnat they afterwards 
putrefying or 1 as the case h 
a. In a mo of scientific inspiration, 
Kelvin 3 thas the pis life might 1 
brought to this planet seed-bearing meteorite, 
But though it has yet ý b explained how 
meteorite was ever b gran equipped with ö the 
discoveries of Prof. Dewar are in 
bs scause they give colour to Lord Kn 
Taey sh vw 
long periods of low temperature, “The 1 
never tired of trump 
ft Lot it suffice to say that these 
estimates of the powers of retaining vi 
seeds possess, have no} been substanti 
most that could reasonably be permitted 
agency of birds in stockiag islands with seeds carriè 
Mr. Gappy i 
in order that we may have more defiaite da 
Some observers have testified to the! 
dacks frequently carry seeds a distance of 
thousand miles or more, and that these seed! 
taal vitality and germinate, sometimes 
much delay, at other times after a year or 
sheep. 
water- fo wl, pass into the stomach of the 3 
be no reason why 
experi 
seeds of cereals show * they lose 
usuall 
after ten years at most, 3 
but much depends on a state of the . 
