21 



rubigo-vera. Extensive investigations and experiments are 

 mow being made by the Department of Agriculture in the U.S. 

 America on the different " rusts," but so far I have not seen 

 that any remedial measures have been recommended, the in- 

 vestigations taking the form of enquiry as to the varieties 

 which best resist the attacks of the fungus. At present I 

 should recommend that the land on which the " rust " has ap- 

 peared should have a rest for at least a } 7 ear, and when planted 

 again the seed should be treated with hot water in the usual 

 way. 



Araucarias. — I am sorry to have to say that the two speci- 

 mens of Araucaria excelsa which were planted in 1867, and 

 which were probably the oldest trees of this species in the 

 Colony, are both dead or nearly so, they have not been attacked 

 'by white ants, but have gradually died from the top downwards. 

 In a conversation I had with a gentleman from near Melbourne 

 a short time ago, he told me that many trees of this species 

 which had been planted there had died off in the same way, and 

 I note also that two trees of A. braziliana in the Botanic 

 Gardens, Maritzburg, are also dead, of this species we have but 

 •one in the Gardens, and it has never looked really well since 

 1 have known it, the specimens of A. Cimninghami in the 

 Gardens do not appear healthy, and are, I fear, not suited to 

 ■the soil and climate, but A. Cookii, and A. Bidwillii, of both 

 of which species we have several specimens show so far no 

 signs of decay, though one specimen of each of these species 

 was planted at the same time and close to those of A. excelsa 

 that are now dying. It will be interesting to know how these 

 species succeed in other parts of the Colony, especially as all of 

 them are long lived trees in their native state, and yield good 

 timber. The only specimen of A. Rulei that we have was 

 planted in 1868 and appears to be of slow growth, but it is 

 fairly healthy, and has borne cones more than once, but they 

 have not yet proved to be fertile. 



Xanthium strumarium, Linn. — In May last specimens of two 

 plants supposed to be poisonous to cattle were sent to me by 

 the Agricultural Department, which I identified as Xanthium 

 strumarium, Linn and Phytolacca octandra, Linn, and in my 

 monthly report I said as follows : — " In the year 1882, I heard 

 from Australia that this plant was supposed to be poisonous to 

 cattle, and some time afterwards I found it growing plentifully 

 near Durban. In November of that year I furnished Govern- 

 ment with the information that I had about it, and pointed out 

 that it was evidently spreading in the Colony. A notice was 

 published in the Gazette, photos of the plant and copies of the 

 notice were sent to the different Magistracies and road parties 



