Edible Products. 234 [SWPX!. 1000. 



to stake the young plant to prevent it floating when the hole becomes filled 

 up with water during heavy rains immediately after planting, or to prevent 

 it being blown down. Then the advantage of planting the nuts on their side 

 becomes apparent." 



The depth to which the seed nut should be buried has also been the object 

 of experiments at Madagascar. Mons. Prudhomme writes as follows on this point:— 



Nuts buried to a depth of 10 centimetres (4 inches) placed in tne soil just up 

 to the middle, or sank just to the level of their tops, have given appreciably the 

 same results. The rate of germination was almost the same in each of the three 

 cases, and also the percentage of results has only given insignificant differences. It 

 has not been the same in the ease of nuts simply placed on the soil ; the germination 

 of these was much later and very obviously inferior to that of nuts more or less 

 buried. It is certain thac this method is not to be recommended. The other three 

 methods gave good results, but as burying to the depth of 10 centimetres (4 inches) 

 certainly costs much more, and, according to Mons. Keating's observations, requires 

 at least twice as much labour as the others, superficial burying should be recom- 

 mended. According to Keating, a man on an average can place 500 nuts a day in the 

 nursery if they are planted just about level to their tops, and only 200 if buried to a 

 depth of 10 centimetres (4 inches). 



Prudhomme reccommends the nursery system as practised in Ceylon. He 

 says, the Ceylon planters as a rule place the nuts at first side by side, first in a 

 sheltered shady location, and transplant them to a temporary nursery protected 

 against the sun's rays, 40 to 50 cms. (4 to 5 inches) apart, until the young growths 

 attain to a length of 5 or 6 cms. " This method is certainly the most rational and, 

 in my opinion, most to be recommended, for it allows the shade to be regu. 

 lated accoi-ding to the state of development of the young plants and diminishes 

 the space occupied by the nuts. It is posssible in these conditions, to reduce 

 to a minimum the work of looking after the young plants." 



PARAGUAY TEA. 



When speaking of Paraguay or Jesuit's tea it must be understood that what 

 is referred to is not strictly speaking a tea at all, except in so far as the infusion 

 thereof may be so called. The plant from which it is commonly obtained is " Ilex 

 parayuarienxis." How many other plants yield Paraguay tea and their exact 

 botanical designations are still matters of debate among botanists. In an article 

 which appeared some years ago upon the subject, in addition to several species of 

 Ilex, a species of Symplocos and one of Elaeodendron were stated to yield the tea. 

 The native name for the tea in its raw state is yerba, but as that is simply a word 

 meaning herb, it does not convey very much ; as manufactured ready for use 

 it is known as yerba mate. The latter word is apparently an arbitrary word 

 peculiar to South American Spanish, and it is also used to denote the gourd or 

 cup from which the tea is taken. Although belonging to the same genus as 

 does the common English holly, there is very little resemblance to this in the yerba 

 plant; the leaves are lance shaped, of a de<p glossy g reen and soft, almost oily 

 to the touch when fully grown ; when young there is a flush of scarlet in the green. 

 The flowers are inconspicuous. The trees attain a height of 40 feet or perhaps more 

 when full grown, and the trunk is 12 inches in diameter, although 6 inches to 

 8 inches is nearer the average. The wood is soft and pithy and is useless as a timber. 



The plant grows in forests, principally in the north-east of the Republic on 

 the upper waters of the Rio Alio Parana. The torests are known as yeroales 

 and they are a great source of wealth to the country. It is estimated that at the 

 present time there are about 700 square leagues of yerbales in existence, and 



