86 
The further advantage of such a position is that it would be at the 
base of a railway line, the eee of which is only a question of a 
short sie if we inte nd to our protectorate in M. dei 
mething might be said for making the station on the island of 
anzibar, where I had my experimental garden, but the KERA and soil 
ore the island La not suit many plants that might well be introduced. I. 
would, therefore, prefer a mainland station as near to Mombasa and the 
railway base of the future as may be. 
You are free to make any use you please of the abov 
yours sin sincerely, 
(Signed) Joun Kirk, 
No step has yet been taken to establish a depôs for British East 
Africa. Meantime, Sir John Kirk’s garden stil! continues to do useful 
service 
Extract from the GAZETTE for Zanzipar and East Arrica, 
November 27, 1895. 
The Rev. Pére Mérel only last week, on behalf of the Fathers of the 
Holy Ghost, took away with him a large quantity of berries for 
planting at their Mission staid of Bura in the Taita district, these being 
kindly supplied by — Thackeray from her specimen plants at Moweni, 
planted by Sir John 
This has brought e offce planting toour doors, We bres from time to 
time to publish intelligence helpful in these matters 
In a private letter, dated December 15, 1895, Sir John Kirk writes 
in regard tohis Zanzibar garden, w "ep an he transferred to Miss Thackeray 
of the €— rg gcc :—** [t is a great satisfaction to know that 
the results have not been thrown itas but are even at this late date 
beginning to bear "fruit. The Germans have long well appreciated the 
store of fruit trees and flowers, cuttings and s eeds of which were to be 
had, and the tropical species of Eucaly yptus, ides as E. citriodora, that 
grew are Low common from seed obtained from my trees.” 
DXI.—MYRRH AND BDELLIUM. 
Myrrh and frankincense have been precious commodities from the 
earliest times, Few drugs have had more careful study bestowed on their 
ori, - Yet even to this day it is by no means free nés uncertainty. 
The preparation of a new edition of the Official. Guide (No. 1) to the. 
Museums of Economic Botany in the Royal Gardens has necessitated. 
xamination of the subject in view of the fresh observations of Dr. 
Schweinfurth, of which a brief account is given in the Pharmaceutical 
Journal (April 28, "eds p. 897). 
Flückiger and "Han bury (Pharmacogr., 2nd ed., p. 140) state : .“ It 
is ‘certain è . that the myrrh of commerce is chiefly of African 
in? 
But numerous sin myrrh-like substances are found in Eastern trade 
which are used as substitutes, and are often intermixed with it. . The 
source of these is “partly vi ani Pes Feed) and partly Indian. 
But to trace this in each case a task fraught with extreme 
hse 
ArRICAN MYRRH. 
"Adidas to Han uad (Pharmaceutical Journal, xii, p. 227), 
* Somali cr Afri can Myrrh isthe so-called Turkey Myrrh of commerce.” 
