66 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



thrown across water-courses for crossing have lasted for three 

 generations j railway posts from it are almost indestructible, 

 ^d so are platforms. Logs a century old, and posts half 

 a century, were not the least decayed (Barney). Railway 

 cross-ties made of this wood are also very lasting, a tree 20 

 years old furnishing sufficient for four ties. Canoes of Catalpa 

 wood never crack or decay. 



Catha edulis, Forskoel. 



Arabia and Eastern Africa. The leaves of this shrub under 

 the designation of Kafta or Cat are used for a tea of a 

 very stimulating effect, to some extent to be compared to that 

 of Erythroxylon Coca. To us here the plant would be mainly 

 valuable for medicinal pui-poses. 



Ceanothus rigidus, Nuttall. 



California. One of the best of hedge shrubs, available for dry 

 situations. Evergreen ; up to 12, feet high ; the branches 

 become densely intricate. In the coast tracts it is replaced 

 by C. thyrsiflorus, Esch., which can also be used for hedges 

 and copses, and will live in mere coast sand. C. prostratus, 

 Benth., likes to form natural mats on slopes formed by roads 

 and slides, which it gradually covers, and with its pretty blue 

 flowers soon decorates (Professor Bolander) . 



Cedrela Srasiliensis, A. deJussieu.* {C.fissiKs, Velloza.) 



South Brazil and Argentina, occurriog also in Mexico. The 

 wood is soft, fragrant, and easily worked ; it is known as 

 Acajou wood. 



Cedrela Sinensis, A. deJussieu. 



China. An elegant tree, hardy in Middle Europe. It fur- 

 nishes a wood not unlike that of the Singapore Cedar, reddish 

 in colour, particularly sought for cigar boxes. 



Cedrela Taona, Roxburgh.* 



The Singapore Cedar.' Ascends the Himalayas to 8,000 feet. 

 A mere variety of this is the Red Cedar of East Austraha 

 (Cedrela Awskalis, F. v. M.). Attains a height of 200 feet; 

 foliage deciduous. The Rev. Dr. WooUs noted in New South 

 Wales trees so large as to yield 30,000 feet (superficial) of 

 timber. Marked value in Brisbane £7-10 to £8-10 per 1,000 

 superficial feet (Queensland Exhibition, .1878). The light 

 beautiful wood, easily worked and susceptible of high polish, 

 is much in request for furniture, for the manufacture of 



