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ORRIS ROOT. 



Orris Root is the dried root-stock (rhizome) of three species of Iris 

 indiscriminately, viz.: / germanica with a blue flower, I florentina with 

 a white flower, and I pallida with delicate blue flower. 



Soil and climate. — They grow in Italy in poor soil, and are not 

 manured. In that country they are generally planted in waste stony 

 places near cultivated ground, and along the edges of terraces. In Ja- 

 maica it is recomended not to grow Orris at a lower elevation than 

 about 2,C00 feet. It is growing well in the Hill Garden. 



Harvesting. — The root-stocks, or rhizomes, increase in size with every 

 year's growth, which gives them a jointed appearance. They are not 

 harvested for 3 years from planting, and then they are taken up in the 

 autumn before commencing next year's growth. The root is cut off just 

 below the base of the leaves. The leaves are cut off a few inches above 

 the root, and the " head" is then replanted for another 3 year's growth. 



Preparation. — The root is allowed to mature and dry in the sun ; it 

 is then cleaned, trimmed and the "bark" pared off. The Orris Hoot ap- 

 pears in the markets in pieces from 2 to 4 inches long, and from \ to 1 J 

 inches wide. It was sold in London in Dec. 1895, at 64/6 per cwt. 



The characteristic odour of violets is only gradually developed, and 

 does not attain its maximum for at least 2 years from the time of 

 harvesting and sale. 



wildIljme. 



Under the name of " Wild Lime" a correspondent has lately sent 

 fruits, asking for information about it. 



The fruit is of a yellowish colour, about the size of a small hen's egg, 

 and coming abruptly to a blunt point at the top. The rind is some- 

 what thick, and in the hollow enclosed by it are 3 or 4 seeds enveloped 

 in a glistening white pulp. The pulp is of a pleasant acid taste, and 

 a jelly made of it is very agreeable to convalescents. 



The fruits succeed to small flowers with 4 whitish petals about a 

 quarter of an inch long which appear in clusters just above the leaves. 

 The leaves are about six inches long, thick and leathery, in pairs on 

 opposite sides of the branches. 



The tree is rather small, and exudes a yellowish resinous gum of an 

 agreeable smell which burns readily, and is good for caulking. 



It belongs to the family Guttiferae, which includes the famous 

 Mangosteen of the Malay Archipelago, the Gamboge tree of the East 

 Indies now naturalised here, and the native Mammee, Santa Maria, 

 and Hog Gum trees. 



The Spanish name is " Ciruelo," while French West Indians call it 

 " Cyroyer," and " Prunier d'Espagne " 



The scientific name of the tree is Rheedia lateriflora. The genus 

 was delicated by Linnaeus to Van Rheede, a Governor of Malabar ; and 

 author of " Hortus indicus malabaricus," a celebrated work published 

 in folio, at his own expense, at Amsterdam between the years 1678 

 and 1703 A.D. 



There are several species belonging to this genus, almost all natives 

 of tropical America, but only one besides the Wild Lime is reported to 

 have an edible fruit. This is Rheedia edulis, the " Sastra" of Panama, 

 a tree about 50 feet high with a pleasant tasted fruit about the size of 

 a hazel-nut. 



