17 



The following plants, some of which are enumerated above, 

 seem to call for a little further notice : — 



Areca oleracea. — " The Cabbage Palm " of the West Indies. 

 This is a tall growing palm, and the young buds at the apex 

 of the stem are removed and used as a vegetable, but it is 

 rather an expensive one as their removal prevents further 

 growth and kills the tree. The stems are afterwards bored by 

 a beetle which deposits its eggs, and the grubs are eagerly 

 sought for, and esteemed a great delicacy by the negroes, and 

 are, I think, occasionally eaten by Europeansa. 



Arenga saccharifera. — This Palm attains a height of 40 feet. 

 The black fibres of the leaf stalks are adapted for cables and 

 ropes, intended to resist wet very long. The juice convertible 

 into toddy or sugar ; the young kernels made with syrup into 

 preserves. This Palm dies off as soon as it has produced its 

 fruit ; the stem then becomes hollow, and can be used for spouts 

 and troughs of great durability. The pith supplies sago, 

 about 1501bs. from a tree, according to Roxburgh. (Baron von 

 Mueller). 



Jubaea spectabilis. — The " Coquito Palm," A kind of treacle 

 is obtained from the sap of this Palm. A good tree will give 

 90 gallons of mellaginous sap. The small kernels are edible. 

 (Baron von Mueller). 



Tectona grandis. — The well known Teak tree. One tree of 

 this species has been in the Gardens for many years but was 

 overshadowed by a large Australian Acacia, since the removal 

 of that tree, however, it has borne seed and plants have been put 

 out, and so far promise to do well. I need scarcely say that 

 the wood is most valuable, but it is a tree of slow growth. 



Strophanthus hispidus. — This is one of the plants whose seeds 

 are used medicinally, it is the " Arrow poison " of the East 

 Coast of Africa. Oar plant has flowered abundantly and pro- 

 mises to do well. 



Oxalis crenata. — " Oka " of the Peruvians. In February I 

 received from the Director of Kew Gardens some small tubers 

 of this plant, which were at once planted, and at the close of 

 the season were found to have increased, but not sufficiently so 

 to allow of their being distributed, they have, therefore, been 

 again planted, and so far appear to be doing well, so that I hope 

 to have a few to distribute in the early spring. The Director 

 says of it : "I am sending you a few tubes of Oxalis crenata, 

 the " Oka " of Peru, which is worth a trial as a vegetable for 

 the table. The tubers should be planted 3 feet apart in sandy 

 soil, and treated like the potato. New tubers are formed at the 



