

19 



"The total export for 1881 was 54,526 piculs- broken 

 "bark 3,129 piculs, buds 1,729 piculs, twigs 6,941 piculs, 

 "and bark of twigs 2,832 piculs, the picul being 133§ lbs., 

 "the total value of these exports in that year being 

 "329,694 Haikwan taels, but the value of this coin is not 

 "given except that it equals 1.46 dollars, the value of the 

 "dollar in China I do not know." 



Khaya senegalensis, A. Juss. " Gambia mahogany." In 

 my last Annual Report I gave some extracts as to the value of 

 this tree for its timber and stated that plants of it had been 

 reared and some of them had been handed over to the Natal 

 Agricultural Department for trial at the Experiment Station. 

 The tree continues to succeed well near Durban, and is of 

 fairly quick growth. A further supply of seeds has been 

 received from Mr. Swymerton, plants have been reared, and a 

 few are promised to the Conservator of Forests, Transvaal, for 

 trial in the low country. 



Macadamia ternifolia, F. v. M. " Queensland Nut." We 

 have in the Garden two trees only of this species, which have 

 been here for many years, since the name appears in a list of 

 trees in the Gardens published in 1876, but is there stated to 

 be ornamental only, but an article has appeared in the 

 " Tropical Agriculturist " for February of the present year 

 which shows that the tree has an economic value also. The 

 article is by Mr. H. F. Macmillan, the Curator of the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens at Peradeniya, Ceylon, and I take the liberty 

 of quoting a portion of it. f 



" The nuts are borne on spikes 4 to 7 inches long, each 

 " being of the size and shape of large marbles, about f of 

 "an inch in diameter. These have an agreeable flavour, 

 " which, according to some tastes, is richer than that of 

 "the Hazel-nut. Their chief objection is, perhaps, their 

 " very hard shell, which requires extra strong nut crackers 

 " to break. A wag has suggested that this explains the 

 " derivation of the name ' Macadam ' having reference to 

 " the inventor of the system of road-making of that name. 

 "The tree, however, has been named in honour of Dr. 

 " Macadam, a scientist of Victoria 



' It is not generally known how largely nuts of 

 " different kinds figure in the list of commercial fruits 

 " and food products of the world. Some nuts afford a 

 " very wholesome diet, as for example Chestnuts, which, 

 " being made into flour, are a standard article of food in 

 "some districts of Southern France and Italy, whence, it 

 " is said, 30,000,000 bushels are. exported to England and 

 " America every year. In Spain and elsewhere the culti- 



