164 
- Coffee no special advantage in those islands and possibly on that account 
it failed to receive attention. Itis mentioned, however, in the ropical 
Agriculturist (Vol. IV., p. 494), that a large qiadtty of seed was 
raised from it were distributed for trial. amongst the leading planters in 
the Blue Mountain district during 1884 and 1885. 
The following account is extracted from the Transactions of the 
Queensland Acclimatisation Society for June 1893 (p. 56) :— 
* The demand for coffee plants during the past year has been on the 
ec ,956 plants having been sent from = gardens. These have 
been ted at various places along the coast, at Mackay, Bundaberg, 
Maestvivcsts Gympie , Maroochie, Mooloolah, Cleveland, &e. Th 
kinds sent were varieties of the Arabian and a few plants of the Mara- 
gogepie, or Brazilian Coffee, have also been distributed, The im- 
ported plant of this fine coffee, originally introduced from Kew [ Report, 
1890, p. 14] growing in the society’s gardens, is this season bearin ng 
lót. ua nd alarge stock of plants will be raised from seeds for next 
year's distribution. Two hybrid coffee plants are also in full baring 
this s ne of these plants has shown a distinct character; the 
cross was effected between the Mocha and the Mar agogepte, the pollen 
from the latter being used to fertilise the Mocha. 
Caragana Bark.—Aniongst the numerous be interesting objects of 
vegetable origin collected by Surgeon-Major J. E. T. Ai tchison at 
various times in the course of his travels” Ps Afghanistan, and now 
deposited in the Museum of the Royal Gardens, are some stems of a 
species of ly mtn received so far back as 1879, the bark of which 
is remarkable for its sm oothness and for its greenish bronze-like 
Hemsl., and referred to as “a large eb dn i apenas of wood and 
* bark. very like laburnam. The bark is employed by the Afghans in 
* the form of rings to slip over d hold the sheaths of the long knives 
* in position in lieu of brass work. The surface takes a good polish 
* and when new resembles bronzed leather. The wood is called 
e 6 Jir rel.’ 
Motweithetanidine the interest attached to the use of this bark it has 
not been possible until now to secure for the Kew Museum a knife and 
Pei bound with bands of the bark, and we are indebted to W. Merck, 
C.S.L, British Commissioner, ‘Khuram, for having furnished us 
- an example. 
Lathyras tuberosus tubers.— The Museum of the Royal Gardens is 
indebted to Messrs Veitch and Sons, of the Royal Exotie Nursery, 
Chelsea, for a good sample of the tuberous roots of Lathyrus tuberosus, 
L., a leguminous plant Fog in cornfields in several parts of Europe, 
and in this country in the county of Essex. The sample was accom- 
pani y a eco Midi. pu Mr. C. y EN of TES 
