54 



Ferns in pots are not altogether a success, and this may be attributed 

 to the rapid evaporation which takes place through the pores of the clay- 

 pots during dry days and nights. At such times the temperature of 

 the pots and their contents is lowered many degrees below that of the 

 surrounding atmosphere. To check this excessive evaporation the plan 

 has been adopted of packing the spaces between the pots on the plant 

 stages with fibrous peat. A small rockery has been built in one end of 

 the Fern house, and planted with rare ferns that were dwindling away 

 in pots, and they have made already astonishing growth. 



Drain Pipes.— In last Report mention was made that drain pipes 

 would be laid at intervals across the walks to intercept and carry off 

 surface water during heavy rains. These pipes were laid during the 

 year and answer the purpose admirably. 



Experimental Garden. — Fodder plants: Experiments have been 

 continued with these plants, the most promising grasses so far are 

 Kentucky blue grass (Poapratensis), Texas blue grass (Poa arachnifera), 

 Red top grass (Agrostis vulgaris) and the Himalayan grass (Pennisetum 

 triflorum) ; and of clovers Trifolium pratense perenne and T. incarnatum. 

 A small patch of Alfalfa was cut in August and the yield was satis- 

 factory. 



An addition has been made to our list of Fodder plants by the 

 introduction of a few stems of Polygonum sachalinense, a plant that is 

 attracting a good deal of attention in Europe. The stems started 

 freely into growth soon after they were received, but they were quickly 

 discovered, and promptly cut down by the voracious grubs that infest 

 the land. 1 he roots were removed to another site for safety : this, of 

 course, checked their growth, but they are again pushing buds. A 

 short account of this valuable plant is given in Bulletin for February 

 1894. 



Potatoes. — Experiments are also being continued with these, and 12 

 varieties have been planted. 



Iris florentina and Iris germanica. — A supply of seed of each of 

 these has been imported from Italy and sown, and the seedlings are 

 now about 2 inches high. The dried rhizomes of these plants form 

 the " Orris root" of commerce, so largely used in the preparation of 

 toilet powders, (Violet powder), perfumery, and to some extent me- 

 dicinally. As many members of the Iris family grow luxuriantly in 

 the hills of Jamaica, it is hoped that I. florentina and I. germanica 

 will also find a congenial home, and it is quite possible that in time 

 they will be numbered amongst the plants producing the so-called 

 " minor products." 



Strobilanthes flaccidifolius, Nees. — The Assam indigo plant. A 

 specimen of this valuable dye-plant was received from Kew a few years 

 ago, but until recently it has been grown simply as an ornamental 

 plant. Now that a Chemical Dye Factory is being established in our 

 midst, means have been taken to propagate the plant, and our first batch 

 of nearly 100 rooted cuttings has been potted, and another lot put in 

 the propagating bed. 



In Watt's Dictionary of the Economic Products of India it is stated 

 that " the plant grows freely on the plains of Manipur in a climate not 

 very different from that of many parts of Bengal, Behar, or the North- 

 West Provinces, and might be extensively cultivated in Assam. It 



