FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



85 



Fagopyrum escluentum, Moench. 



Central Asia. The ordinary Buck-Wheat. This annual 

 herb succeeds on the poorest soil. The crushed amylaceous 

 seeds can be converted by boiling or baking into a palatable 

 and wholesome food. As an agrarian plant it can with ad- 

 vantage be raised as a first crop on sandy heath-land, newly 

 broken up, for green manure. The period required for the 

 eye 1 us of its vegetation is extremely short. Thus it can be 

 reared on our higher Alps. 



Fagopyrum Tataricum, Moench. 



Middle and North Asia. Yields for the higher mountain 

 regions a still safer crop than the foregoing, otherwise the 

 remarks offered in reference to F. esculentum apply also to 

 F. Tataricum. 



Fagopyrum triangulare, Meissner. 



In the Himalayan Mountains, ascending naturally to regions 

 11,500 feet high. An annual. F. rotundatum, Babington, 

 seems a variety of this species. It is cultivated for food like 

 the rest. 



Fagus Cunninghami, Hooker. 



The Victorian and Tasmanian Beech, A magnificent ever- 

 green tree, attaining large dimensions, and only living in 

 cool damp rich forest-valleys, not rarely 200 feet high. The 

 wood much used by carpenters and other artisans, the Myrtle- 

 wood of the trade. It requires to be ascertained by actual 

 tests in the forests, whether the allied tall evergreen New 

 Zealand Beeches possess any advantage over ours for forest- 

 culture; they are — Fagus Menziesii (Hooker) the Red Birch 

 of the colonists; Fagus fusca (Hooker) the Black Birch; 

 Fagus Solandri (Hooker) the White Birch. A magnificent 

 beech, Fagus Moorei (F. von Mueller) occurs in New Eng- 

 land. 



Fagus Dombeyi, Mirbel. 



The Evergreen Beech of Chili, called there the Coigue or 

 Coihue. Of grand dimensions. Canoes out of its stem can 

 be obtained of a size to carry ten tons freight. The wood is 

 still harder than that of the following species, with the 

 qualities of which it otherwise agrees (Dr. PhilijDpi). This 

 species extends to the Chonos grouj) and perhaps still further 

 south, and thus might be of value even for Middle European 

 forest culture. 



Fagus obliqua, Mirbel. 



The Boble of Chili, called Coyam by the original inhabitants. 

 A tall tree with a straight stem, attaining three to four feet 

 diameter. Wood heavy and durable, well adapted for posts, 



