

17 



which elicited admiration of all who saw them. He prophesied 

 a great future for Rhea. But there is so much British capital 

 sunk in jute and cotton in India that all attempts to exploit 

 Rhea have so far proved unprofitable. 



" It must be remembered that Rhea is not an annual, like 

 jute and cotton. It is a perennial ; and once planted goes on 

 giving from three to four crops a year for many years in 

 succession. All that it requires in the way of cultivation is 

 that it be planted very close together ; be irrigated in the very 

 dry months of the year like any other field crop, and that the 

 leaves stripped from the stems be given back to the soil in the 

 shape of green manure. The bark can be stripped from the 

 stem by hand quite easily and there need be no machine for 

 this purpose. The bark can be dried and shipped in the form 

 of "ribbons;" and, indeed, this is the way in which most 

 Rhea mills require the fibre stripped, they having methods of 

 degumming and finishing the fibre for spinning which are trade 

 secrets. There is a lot of nonsense written about Rhea or 

 Ramie which requires to be brushed aside. We write from a 

 practical knowledge of the subject." 



Crescentia cujete, Linn., " Calabash tree." — The seed vessel 

 is like a gourd and is used as the natives use the calabash; the 

 pulp is medicinal. Our piant was put out in 1887 but has not 

 yet borne fruit, but a tree in the ground of Mr. J. D. Ballance 

 has fruited, and a specimen is in our museum. 



Gedrela toona, Roxb., " Toon " tree. — Native of India. Wood 

 valuable. Fruit and bark used medicinally. Does fairly well, 

 and is said to succeed far better in the midlands. Planted in 

 1886, and is now 28 feet high. (See Guide, p. 41). 



Cananga odorata, H.K.F. — A tall soft-wooded tree. Native 

 of India, sometimes reaching 150 feet in height. Uses not 

 known to us. Planted in 1892, now 15 feet high. 



Gatha edulie, Forsk. — A shrub or small tree, native of 

 Arabia and East Africa. The leaves have been used as tea 

 and are said to be stimulating, and to some extent may be 

 compared to those of Eythroxlon cocoa. They have been, and 

 perhaps still are, used by the Hottentots. Planted in 1894 

 and doing- well. 



'^ 



Castilloa elastica. — One of the best of the rubber yielding 

 trees. Planted out in 1892 but died the first season, not suited 

 to the climate of Natal. 



