FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



57 



Convolvulus floridus, Linn^ fil. 



Canary Island. A shrubby not climbing or winding species. 

 "With C. scoparius it yields the Atlantic Bosewood from 

 stem and root. 



Convolvulus Scammonia, Linne. 



Mediterranean regions and Asia Minor. A perennial herb. 

 From the root is obtained the purgative resin Scammonia. 



Convolvulus scoparius, Linne fil. 



Teneriffe. One of the Eosewood plants. 



Copernicia cerifera, Martins. 



Brazil. This magnificent Fan-Palm, like so many others of 

 this noble order, may prove hardy in our latitudes. It resists 

 drought in a remarkable degree, and prospers also on a some- 

 what saline soil. This palm in all probability would prove 

 fitted for the country along the Murray-river. The stem 

 furnishes starch, the sap yields sugar, the fibres of the leaves 

 are converted into ropes, which resist decay in water, and can 

 also be used for mats, hats, baskets and brooms, and many 

 other articles are prepared from the leaves. The inner part 

 of the leafstalks serves as a substitute for cork. Mainly 

 however this palm is valued for its Carnauba-wax, with 

 which the yoimg leaves are coated, and which can be detached 

 by shaking ; it is harder than beeswax and is used in candle 

 manufacture. Each tree furnishes about 4 lbs. annually. In 

 1862 no less than 2,500,000 lbs. were imported into Great 

 Britain, realising about £100,000. 



Corcliorus acutangulus, Lamarck. 



Tropical Africa, South Asia and North Australia. This species 

 is specially mentioned by some writers as a Jute-plant. — A 

 particular machine has been constructed by Mr. Le Franc, of 

 New Orleans, for separating the Jute fibre. With it a ton of 

 Jute fibre is produced in a day by four men's work, and it 

 leaves no butts and refuse. This apparatus can also be used 

 for other fibre plants. The seeds of the Corchorus, which 

 spontaneously drop, will reiterate the crop. 



Corcliorus capsularis, Linne. 



From India to Japan. One of the principal Jute-plants. 

 An annual, attaining a height of about a dozen feet, when 

 closely grown, with almost branchless stem. A nearly allied 

 but lower plant, Corchorus Cunninghami, F. v. Mueller, 

 occurs in tropical and subtropical East Australia. Jute can 

 be grown where cotton and rice ripen, be it even in localities 

 comparatively cold in the winter, if the summer's warmth is 

 long and continuous. The fibre is separated by steeping the 

 full-grown plant in water from five to eight days, and it is 



