S2 



ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



washed and dried ; after which you will soon find that your 

 plant will recover, and either grow again from the centre or shoot 

 from the side. 



In this country we plant and transplant Aloes at all times and 

 seasons, and they grow equally well. 



Aloes should not be watered often, nor at stated periods ; for 

 the climate of South Africa is extremely variable, and subjected 

 to great vicissitudes, and, in their wild state, they are unaccus- 

 tomed to a plentiful supply of water : they endure long seasons 

 of severe drought, a burning summer sun, or a scorching north 

 wind; and, again, at other seasons they are deluged with tor- 

 rents of rain ; for sucli is the variability of the climate they in- 

 habit. But, from the construction of their leaves and roots, there 

 is no succulent plant better enabled to endure these changes 

 than the Aloe ; for, like the Vulture, who gorges himself when he 

 has the chance of doing so, and then retires to some lonely 

 cliff, to remain for days, or perhaps weeks, with no further sus- 

 tenance, so do the Aloes in like manner in rainy seasons distend 

 every leaf and branch with moisture, and this supply is carefully 

 stowed away to be absorbed by degrees in times of drought and 

 scarcity, according to the wants of the plant ; and from this store 

 of moisture the whole of the blossoms and seeds are frequently 

 supplied with nourishment, which supply is obtained from the 

 large succulent leaves of the plant, which then become red and 

 attenuated. 



Aloes should never be pruned or trimmed in any way what- 

 ever ; the old leaves, which accumulate beneath the large green 

 ones, form a protection to the young growing stems ; and if left 

 to themselves they assume an oval-shaped mass of grey and 

 hoary-looking dried foliage, which forms an excellent contrast 

 with the green leaves above, giving the Aloe its peculiar and pic- 

 turesque appearance. Moreover the removal of this mass of old 

 leaves frequently results in the death of the plant, which is to be 

 regretted. 



Many of the dwarf species of Aloes are becoming much more 

 rare within the colony than they formerly were ; for I am sorry 

 to state that Aloes, like many other succulent plants, are fast 

 disappearing within the boundary of the colony. The sheep and 

 goats are doing for this country what the goats did for St. 

 Helena, rapidly altering the nature of its flora and pasture 

 lands, and causing many plants to disappear before their de- 



