20 



A USEFUL FORAGE PLANT. 



Polygonum Sachalin ense. 



From " Gardeners' Chronicle" and " Garden.' 9 

 In the protracted drought of the present season it may, perhaps, be 

 permitted to horticulture to come to the aid of the farmer, just as, 

 twenty-five years ago, the gardener's art helped the Vine- grower out 

 of his difficulties by showing him how to make use of the remedy of 

 grafting. 



The remedy in the present case is a robust and vioorous-growing 

 perennial plant, which is equally unaffected by excessive heat in sum- 

 mer and extreme cold in winter, namelv the Sachalin Knot-grass 

 (Polygonum sachalinense), belonging to the same natural family as 

 the Sorrel, the Buckwheat, the Rhubarb, &c. 



Since its introduction into France we have been growing this plant 

 merely as an ornamental subject in gardens, although its young shoots 

 when blanched are as edible as Asparagus, if not of quite so high a 

 quality, and the fine foliage might be utilised in garnishing desserts, 

 and also in packing fruit for market. We certainly had pointed out 

 to bee-keepers the fact that its flowers, which are produced in great 

 abundance, are much frequented by bees at the close of the summer, — 

 but the writings of M. Doumet-Adanson on the qualities of this 

 Polygonum as a forage plant which were brought under the notice of 

 the Academie des Sciences by M. Duchartre, and the reports which 

 we have made on the same subject to the National Agricultural 

 Society of France have brought the plant more prominently into view 

 and claim for it the earliest attention of the farmers. 



This Sachalin Knot-grass was discovered by the Russian botanical 

 explorer Maximowicz in the Island of Sachalin (or Saghalien) which 

 is situated in the Sea of Okhotsk, between Japan and Siberia. • 



This island is of large size, and was ceded to Russia by Japan in 

 exchange for the islands of the Kurile Archipelago. In the year 

 1869 my friend M. Edouard Andre, meeting with this lately arrived 

 plant in the Jardin d'Acclimation at Moscow, was struck with its 

 highly ornamental character, and brought back specimens of it to 

 France. In speaking of it to us he dwelt very strongly on the great 

 vigour of the growth exhibited by the plant both at root and at top, 

 the roots sending out horizontally on all sides rhizomes which are 

 capable of penetrating the stiffest ground, even that of old, well trod- 

 den road-ways, and pushing up fresh shoots in all directions, thus 

 largely extending the area occupied by the plant when first put in the 

 ground. The stems, which are numerous and grow close together 

 soon attain a height of 3 feet or more ; even when the early frosts may 

 have nipped their extremities, from the middle and top of the stems 

 issue long, slender, curving ramifications. The foliage is pleasing in 

 its effect, the leaves being alternate, distichous, oblong-oval in shape, 

 each leaf measuring from 1 J to over 1^ inches in length, and about an 

 inch in width. The leaves are also perfectly smooth, or without the 

 least trace of down or tomentum. The leaf stalk is of a carmine-red 

 colour, and the stem, as it ripens, takes on a reddish tinge on a green 

 ground. The flowers which are of a dull white colour, are borne in 

 small auxiliary clusters, together forming long panicled, closely se 



