25 



Aleurites triloba. — " Candleberry tree." It occurred to me 

 ihat as this tree succeeds so well in the coast districts, that it 

 might, perhaps, be found profitable for cultivation as a timber 

 and oil yielding tree, I therefore had the nuts from one tree 

 collected and weighed with the following results : — 



Gross weight of nuts ... ... 940 lbs. 



Estimated loss in hulling ... 710 .. „ 



„ ,, drying ... 58 768 „ 



Nett weight of kernels from one tree ... 172 lbs. 



I have understood that these kernels are worth in Europe 

 about £8 per ton, and I therefore applied to the Director of 

 Kew Gardens on this point, but up to the time of writing I 

 have not received any reply. The tree has been felled for the 

 purpose of testing the value of the wood, and a portion of it 

 will be sawn into planks as soon as we can get it done. 



Mucuna, sp. — " Florida Velvet Bean." We have a plant or 

 two growing which seem to promise well, but if what is wanted 

 by the farmer is a plant which will supply nitrogen to the soil, 

 I scarcely think that we need to go so far afield for it, some of 

 our native species of Dolichos, Desmodium, Tephrosia, &c, 

 should do equally well, and be more suited to the soil and 

 climate than an exotic plant. In examining and describing a 

 very common plant, Desmodium hirtum for the volume of the 

 Natal Plants now in course of preparation, it was found that 

 the roots of some, if not of all of the plants were thickly 

 covered with the nodules or protuberances which are said to be 

 the means of supplying nitrogen to the soil, This plant would 

 appear to me to fulfil all the conditions required, and is at any 

 rate worth a trial ; it is found from close to the sea to at least 

 2,000 feet alt, and perhaps higher still than that, it yields a fair 

 but not large amount of herbage, and would be easily ploughed 

 in when required. I shall be pleased to send a dried specimen 

 of it to any of our farmers who may wish to collect seed of it 

 for trial, and it is in flower and seed nearly all through the 

 summer. 



Xanthorroea hastilis. — " Grass Gum Tree " or " Black boy.' 

 This plant which is a native of New South Wales has been in 

 the Gardens for many years, and this year sent out a tall 

 flowering spike with hundreds of small flowers 'hickly clustered 

 on it, 1 understand that there are only two plant? of this 

 species in the Colony, as one belonging to Mr. Geekie flowered 

 a year or two ago and then died, we were therefore afraid that 

 we might lose our plant also, but I had it plentifully supplied 

 ^with water during the dry weather, and I am pleased to say 



