140 
Professor W. A. Dixon found 65 per cent. of digestible substance 
in K. pyramidata.” 
ochia villosa, Lindley. An under-shrub or shrub, erect, spreading, 
or decumbent, found in most of the rece and s aline regions of 
i nien e partionter ly inland, also on sand s. According to 
e 
t 
bush’; so ad on account of the downy covering on the branches 
and leaves. This rather dwarf shrub resists the extremes of drool 
and heat of even the trying Central Australian climate. 
aes penetrate into the ground to a depth of 18 feet A 
rton). With al! other asture animals dromedaries like this and 
some other salt-bushes, particularly for food ; 80 also ostriches. These 
plants can be readily multiplied from cuttings 
Of Rhagodia parabolica, R. Br, Tivier writes (p. 48) :—* This 
shrub is found in the interior of Queensland, New South Wales 
and South Australia, and usually in or near moist places, but is nowhere 
very plentiful. It is probably one of the best known of all saltbushes 
by stockmen, and on account of its mealy-white "agde they have 
given it the common name of * Old Mis; Saltbush. At one time this 
shrub was a a prominent feature in man e^ in the interior, but of 
late years it is gradually becoming more scarce 
DXXII.—OSIERS. 
The basket-industry appears to pui decayed of late in this country, 
though there are some signs of a revival. Osiers are consequently no 
e cultivated to the same estent & as formerly. Basket-making ie 
of the most ancient of native industries and ets the most 
piaitive of appliances. Yet for many commercial purposes they 
contents, and their toughness and über enables them to endure a 
vast amount of wear and tear. 
The following extracts are taken from a papa mte by the Board of 
Agriculture i in 1893 on the “ Cultivation of Osi 
"here are no official records of the quiin of osiers imported into 
this country, but it has been estimated that some thousands of tons are 
received vm abroad annually. ae is also said to be a large an 
portation of bask ee of b baskets required for 
the fruit Industry eh is conside rable, Ut t must increase with the 
extension of fruit cultivation. Formerly us fruit was generally packed 
in baskets made of red or EPA osiers, but white osier baskets are 
almost invariably used now (p. 1 
“There can be no doubt that the extent of osier eg a Fen 
district is now much less than it was, but at the present m tbere 
is some evidence of inereased interest in the subject and paian per 
to the business. The industry is apparently becoming more of a 
tere £ and basket makers are planting holts in some instances to 
supply their own requirements” (p. 3). 
The following correspondence relates to a request from the Govern- 
ment of Madras for a supply of cuttings of the willows esteemed by 
