^xitiAtY^iVB rfEEEs. 147 



numerable South African Heaths, Stapeliffi, the Me- 

 sembryanthema, Pelargonia, lily-like plants, and many 

 others, once the pride of European conservatories, 

 can, with increased sea traffic, now gradually be in- 

 troduced as beautifnl objects of trade into this coun- 

 try, where they need no glass protection. It leads 

 too far to speak of the still more readily accessible 

 numerous showy plants of South-west Australia, but 

 among which, as a mere instance, the gorgeous Ani- 

 gozanthi, the lovely Stylidia, the gay Banksise, and 

 the fragrant Boronias may be mentioned. 



Before leaving this topic, I may remind you that 

 many esculent plants of foreign countries are deserv- 

 ing yet of test culture, and, perhaps, general adop- 

 tion in this country. The Dolichos sesquipedalis, of 

 South American, is a bean, cultivated in France on 

 account of its tender pod. The Arracha esculenta, an 

 umbellate from the cooler mountains of Central Ameri- 

 ca, yields there, for universal use, its edible root. 

 The climbing Chocho, of West India (Sechium edule), 

 proved hardy in -Madeira, and furnishes a root and 

 fruit both palatable and wholesome. Vigna subter- 

 ranea is the Earth Nut of Natal. The Taro of Tahiti 

 (Caloeasi macrorrhiza), though perfectly enduring our 

 lowland clime, is, as yet, with allied species, but lit- 

 tle cultivated — neither the Soja of Japan (Glycine 

 Soja), nor the Caper of the Mediterranean. The Sea- 

 kales (Crambe Maritima and C. Tatarica) might be 

 naturalized on our sandy shores. 



Regarding fibres, much yet requires to be effected 

 by capitalists and cultivators, to turn such plants as 

 the Grasscloth shrub, which I distributed for upward 

 of a dozen years, to commercial importance for facto- 



