166 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 



[ AnguBt 24, lt7S. 



giant Buccnmb, by his fall he will carry all the trees entwined 

 by the same limits with him to destruction. 



" The importance of the Mora for the marine, which my late 

 brother had already pointed out in his first travels, has been con- 

 firmed since. On the upper Barima this valuable tree is found 

 in such numbers, and of such immense size, that the trees 

 growiDg near the banks of the river alone would be sufficient to 

 supply a whole fleet with material. The wood is so close and 

 cross-grained that it is difficult to split it; it is considered by 

 the most competent judges to be superior to Oak, as it is not 

 subject to the dry rot. 



" With the appearance of these giants the vegetation near the 

 banks assumed a new character — trees, flowers, fruits, not 

 before seen surrounded me. Amongst these new formB were 

 magnificent flowers of the Brownea racemosa, Jacq. I fear no 

 artist is born yet who could produce on paper what Nature has 

 lavished on this dazzling favourite others. The elegant form of 

 the pretty tree, by the brilliancy of its foliage, the abundance of 

 large, indescribable, tenderly formed flowers glowing with such 

 dazzling colour that the eye can scarcely bear their sparkling 

 fire; every part combines to captivate admiration — even when 

 the flowers have disappeared the large red legumes offer a pretty 

 picture. 



" Although the Brownea belongs to quite a different order of 

 plants, and its flowers differ from those of the Rose, I cannot 

 find a more appropriate name for it than " The Rose of the 

 Tropics." The large wax-like white flower of the Gustavia 

 fastuosa, Willd. and Clusias, increased the preponderating 

 charm. The banks bordered with the 60 to 80 feet high wall- 

 like vegetation, which could be compared to a gigantic clipped 

 hedge, over which hung down in festoons the blue flowers of 

 Petrea volubilis, Jacq., and Schomburgkii, Schau., also the 

 beautiful red flowers of the Cacoutia coccinea, Aubl. Nature 

 had even coveted the branches of the gigantic trees, on which 

 numberless Orchids, Tillandsias, Ferns, and Aroids luxuriated, 

 from which the last mentioned suspended to the ground their 

 rope-like roots, resembling the cordage of a ship. 



" The Vanilla, V. planifolia, Andr., and bicolor, Lindl., already 

 seen in the lower part of the river, appeared here more fre- 

 quently, and filled the air, especially in the morning and evening 

 hours, with the aromatic fragrance of its flowers. The plant 

 climbs in a straight line up the trunks of the trees, fastened to the 

 stem by its air roots, their handsome leaves spread symme- 

 trically. Thus it grows from branch to branch, again it descends 

 and strikes roots in the ground, and ascends again. Although 

 the monkeys consider the long, fleshy capsules a great delicacy, 

 we found a large number of the fruits." 



"At a small distance from the mouth of the river Pirara, near 

 the bank of the Pirara, we found a gigantic Maran-tree, Co- 

 paifera Jacquini, Desf., which showed on its large trunk by old 

 and fresh marks how often the balsam of the tree had been 

 gathered, the entire absence of underwood proving that this 

 spot had been used as a camping place, and it served us for the 

 same purpose. 



" To collect the balsam of the Copaifera the Indians make a 

 half round excavation in the lower part of the trunk, which 

 extends to the heart of the tree. In certain months, especially 

 in February and March, the resinous juice flows in large quan- 

 tity and fills the excavation, which from time to time is emptied. 

 We found the hollows full of the balsam, and great numbers of 

 wasps and bees collected around it, which no doubt use the balsam 

 as a cement for their nests. Except for wounds and for the pur- 

 pose of anointing their body and hair the Indians do not nse it 

 for any other purpose. They collect it because it forms an 

 article of barter very much sought for by the Brazilians, and is 

 collected without much trouble." 



" On the banks of some rivulets which we crossed in the 

 afternoon appeared again a shrubby vegetation. The pleasure 

 was heightened when these shrubs were seen covered with 

 flowers which I had not met with before ; they belonged to the 

 orders of Proteaceas and Ternstroemiacea?, and were the first 

 representatives of the very interesting genera Rhopala and 

 Ternstrcemia. The whole air was perfumed with the Vanilla- 

 like fragrance of the Rhopala complicata, Humb. and Bonpl. 

 This interesting genus appears at an elevation of 1200 to 1500 feet 

 above the level of the sea, although I found the Rhopala nitida, 

 Budge, in the neighbourhood of Pirara. The Ternstroemia 

 proved to be a new species, T. rubicunda, Klotzsch. Small trees 

 of a Humiriacea and shrubs of the peculiar odoriferous Antonia 

 pilosa, Hook., changed with the above-named plants, andformed 

 an interesting border along the banks of the rivulet. An oasis 

 through which it was flowing invited us to fix our camp near it. 

 I detected some new forms of plants, to which belonged the 

 Hyptis membranacea, Benth., with its tender light blue lip- 

 Bhaped flowers and green calyx, which, according as the rays of 

 the sun fell on it, changed from green to white and to pink. The 

 leaves of this magnificent tree, which reaches a height of from 

 30 to 40 feet, emitted a strong aromatic smell. Its wood is very 

 hard. This is undoubtedly the only tree-like Labiates indi- 

 genous in British Guiana. Mr. Gardener, the well-known 



traveller and botanist, found this species also in Brazil in the 

 diamond district, Minas Giraes, near Cidado do Serro, as one of 

 the moBt common trees ; its distribution, therefore, seems to be 

 over a large area in South America. A new Swartzia and Rho- 

 pala, S. capparoides, Klotzsch, and R. Euaveolens, Klotzsch, I 

 found also here." 



" Enraptured with what we had seen through the beautiful 

 magic garden of flowerE, we were especially interested by seeing 

 large trees of the Ladenbergia. At the Humirida Mountains, 

 in an altitude of 3690 feet above the level of the sea, we found 

 them only as shrubs, here we met them as treeB. 



" No other order of plants could probably show a more abun- 

 dant literature than the Cinchonea?, and yet the knowledge of 

 the geographical distribution in South America of this valuable 

 tree is very limited, as every new traveller has added other dis- 

 coveries. 



" Many are the causes ascribed to the discovery of its wonder- 

 ful effects of alleviating the sufferings of humanity. No doubt 

 assertion made in proof of it belongs to the region of legends, 

 by which generally an important discovery is accompanied. 

 According to Geoffroy, an Indian afflicted with fever drank out 

 of a pool into which had fallen trees of the fever bark, and by 

 drinking had been cured of his illness. According to Condamine 

 (although he himself doubts the truth of it) the American tigers, 

 the pumas, were the first that drew the attention of men to it, 

 because these animals, which are supposed to be attacked by 

 fever, cured themselves by gnawiDg the bark of the Cinchona 

 trees. Some of the oldest authors assert that the Indians were 

 acquainted with the qualities of the bark before the arrival of 

 the Spaniards; while others again maintain that they did not 

 know itB valuable quality. 



" It has been proved by later travellers, especially through 

 Alexander Humboldt, that the discovery of the bark as a medi- 

 cine belongs to the Europeans, and not to the natives of South 

 America. Just as unacquainted as the great traveller found the 

 Indians with the qualities of the bark did my brother in his 

 first travels, and even now we found this the case with the 

 Arekunas, who lived in the Cinchona region. We gave the 

 Indians, when we found them suffering from fever, quinine, and 

 gained laBting gratitude for it, while a few steps from their sick 

 bed the Bource of the remedy was growing in luxuriant abun- 

 dance." 



THE HOLLYHOCK. 



The Hollyhock takes such a high position amongst autumn- 

 flowering plants that it is scarcely necessary to speak in its 

 praise. I can add without fear of contradiction that no other 

 plant grown combines the qualities suitable for shrubbery and 

 border decoration to the same extent as the Hollyhock. It is 

 easily cultivated, requiring only a little protection through the 

 winter — a few coal ashes shaken over the crowns and removed 

 in early spring being all that is required. 



It is generally propagated either by seed (and seedlings make 

 the best plants), or by outtings — Bingle eyes taken off in August 

 and inserted in light soil in panB well drained and plunged in 

 a frame in leaves or tan, so as to have the assistance of a little 

 bottom heat. This is a quick method of working-up a stock, 

 Give air as required when the eyes have made a little growth, 

 and when they are sufficiently rooted pot the young plants singly 

 in 3-inch pots, and replace them in a close frame for a few 

 weeks, and when the pots become full of roots give the plants 

 a shift into 6-inch pots, using one-half of rich loam, one- 

 fourth of well-decayed mannre, and one part of leaf soil, with 

 a good admixture of silver sand, all well mixed together. At 

 this stage the plants may be placed in a cool pit or frame for 

 protecting them through the winter, admitting plenty of air 

 on all favourable opportunities. They will be ready for the 

 open ground in spring. 



To increase by seed, the seed should be gathered early in 

 the autumn from the most double blooms of the finest shape 

 and colour. Sow it in pans, and give the seedlings the same 

 treatment throughout as plants from single eyes. I have 

 practised this mode of culture and have found it most satis- 

 factory. — J. Hobbs, The Fernery, Kent. 



HTACINTHUS CANDICANS. 

 Now that the tide of popular favour is again flowing, we are 

 glad to say, in the direction of the mixed border and the culti- 

 vation of choice hardy flowering plants, a new and really good 

 plant in that way cannot fail of a weloome and due apprecia- 

 tion. Such unquestionably is the beautiful Hyacinthus can- 

 dicans, incidentally alluded to last week as being in flower in 

 the open border at Glatnevin, and of which it is now proposed 

 to speak more specifically. In the first instance, we must 

 ask our readers to disassociate it altogether, so far as regards 



