FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



191 



Punica Granatum, Linne. 



The Pomegranate. North Africa and "West Asia, in the 

 Himalayas up to 6000 feet. Well-known for its showy 

 habit, rich coloured flowers, peculiar fruit, and medicinal 

 astringency, but much overlooked regarding its value as a 

 hedge-plant. 



Pycnanthemum incanum, Michaux. 



North America. A perennial herb, in odour resembling both 

 Pennyroyal and Spearmint. It likes to grow on rocky wood- 

 land, and on such it might be easily naturalised. 



Pycnanthemum montanum, Michaux. 



The Mountain-Mint of North America. A perennial herb of 

 pleasant aromatic mint-like taste. These two particular 

 species have been chosen from several North American 

 kinds to demonstrate, that we may add by their introduction 

 to the variety of our odorous garden-herbs. They may also 

 be subjected with advantage to distillation. 



Pyrularia edulis, Meissner. 



Nepal, Kliasia, Sikkim. A large umbrageous tree. The 

 drupaceous fruit is used by the inhabitants for food. A few 

 other species occur in Upper India, one on the high moun- 

 tains of Ceylon and one in North America. The latter, P. 

 pubera (Mich.) can be utilised for the oil of its nuts. 



Pyrus coronaria, Linn6. 



The Crab-Apple of North America. This showy species is 

 mentioned here as worthy of trial-culture, since it is likely 

 that it would serve well as stock for grafting. It seems 

 unnecessary to refer here to any of the forms of Pyrus 

 communis (L.), P. Malus (L.), P. Cydonia (L.) and P. 

 Germanica (J. Hooker.) (Mespilus Germanica, L.), but it may 

 passingly be observed, that curious fruits have been produced 

 latterly in North America by the hybridisation of the Apple 

 with the Pear. A bitter Glycosid, namely Phlorrhizin, is 

 obtainable from the bark of apple and pear trees, particu- 

 larly from that of the root, while a volatile alkaloid, namely 

 Trimethylamin, can be prepared from the flowers. 



Pyrus Japonica, Thunberg. 



Japan. One of the prettiest of small hedge-bushes. Under 

 favourable circumstances it will produce its quince-like fruit, 



Pyrus nivalis, Jacquin. 



The Snow-Pear. Middle and South Europe. This would be 

 adapted for orchards in our higher mountain-regions. The 

 fruit becomes soft and edible through exposure to snow. P. 

 amygdaliformis (Yillars) is probably the wild state of this 

 tree. 



