Useful Plants into Victoria. 95 



Two other tracts of country, essentially different from the 

 former ones, are of so great an extent, as to attract our notice 

 on this occasion, one being the north-western desert, the other 

 our subalpine plains and gullies. 



Although, probably by their cultivation little is to be achieved 

 of importance, yet a boon may be conferred upon these wilder- 

 nesses, if we endeavoured to naturalise there apt plants of 

 utility. Thus, from the distribution of the date, which in some 

 of the arid parts of Egypt, Persia and Arabia, forms one of the 

 principle means of subsistance to the population, we might at once 

 benefit from the oases of the Australian deserts. My attention 

 was directed by Dr. Greeves, who always evinces so much 

 interest for the development of this country's resources, to the 

 following passage in Burton's el Medinah ( Vol. II. p. 203), in 

 regard to the successful cidtivation of this palm : — " One of the 

 reasons of the excellence of the Medinah Dates, is the quantity 

 of water they obtain ; each garden or field has its well, and 

 even in the hottest weather the Persian well floods the palms 

 every third day. It has been observed that the Date Tree lives 

 in barren and dry spots, but it loves the beds of streams and 

 places where moisture is procurable. The Date-palms scattered 

 over the other places of Medinah plains, and depending solely 

 on rain-water produce less fruit, and that of inferior quality." 



The Doum-pahn (Typhaene thebaica), which might be conso- 

 ciated with the Date, yields to the inhabitants of the territories 

 adjacent to the Bed Sea, also an edible fruit, and received from 

 the taste of its rind the vernacular name Gingerbread-tree. 

 Its resin is not without utility, and called the Egyptian 

 Bdellium. 



One of the Lotus plants of the ancients (Zizyphus Lotus, 

 which occurs on the edges of the African desert, might like- 

 wise be tried for cultivation on our barren north-western plains 

 for the sake of its excellent berries, whilst another desert plant, 

 the Argan-tree (Argania Sideroxylon), from Morocco, has 

 already been introduced through the Liberality of her Majesty's 

 Home Government into Australia ; and it is much to be re- 

 gretted, that this plant, which once might become of some 

 importance to the Murray runs, seems to be of such a tardy 

 growth. 



Not less is the vegetation of the subalpine plains capable of 

 improvement. Many of the fruit-shrubs, restricted to the 

 moors, heaths, and forests of the colder zones, or to the high 

 mountain-regions of warmer countries, might there be reared 

 to advantage. 



