23 



and are borne in great profusion. Our tree was planted in 

 1892, and is quite healthy. 



Lysiloma sabicu, Bth. — A native of Cuba, yielding a hard and 

 heavy wood known as " Sabicu, Savacu, or Savico " wood. Our 

 tree was planted in 1892 ; it has several stems, and is now 

 about 11 feet high. It has flowered several times, but as yet 

 has not perfected its seeds. (See Guide, p. 11). 



Liguidambar styraciflua, Linn. — A native of North America, 

 yields a gum and is a handsome tree, but is better suited for 

 the midland than coast districts. Our plant was put out in 

 1894, and is now about 22 feet in height. 



Lathyrus sylvestris, L., " Wagner's Improved." — This plant 

 was much advertised as a forage plant, and was at first very 

 favourably reported on. It was tried here and grew fairly 

 well, but I came to the conclusion eventually that it was not 

 suited to Natal ; and it is also reported that a free use of it by 

 cattle as food would be dangerous, on account of a deleterious 

 property contained in it. We therefore abandoned its cultiva- 

 tion. It was tried in some other places in the Colony, but did 

 not find favour amongst the farming community. (See Report 

 for 1893, p. 13). 



Mosquito Plant. — The plant now commonly known by this 

 name is Ocimum viride, Willd, a native of India and tropical 

 Africa, and it was stated that three or four plants of it growing 

 in a room would be quite sufficient to drive all mosquitos away. 

 As our native plant 0. gratissimum, Linn., is very powerfully 

 scented, it occurred to me that it might be quite as efficacious 

 as a culifuge as 0. viride. I therefore had seeds and plants 

 collected in some quantity ; plants were grown here and tried 

 in different rooms, but I regret to have to say without the 

 slightest effect on the lively mosquito. Seeds of 0. viride were 

 afterwards received from Lagos and plants were reared from 

 them, but it does not appear to me that the leaves of that plant 

 are more powerfully scented than those of 0. gratissimum, and 

 certainly the effect upon the mosquito is not greater, and this 

 is now confirmed by reports from other parts of the world, 

 with the result that the " mosquito plant " has had its day and 

 must now be relegated to its former obscure position. I should 

 say that the seeds and seed vessels of 0. gratissimum are much 

 more powerfully scented than the other parts of the plant, and 

 small muslin bags filled with them have been hung on posts of 

 bedsteads, but the effect so far as the mosquitos were concerned 

 were not perceptible. 



