3)2 



Tlie gambicr plant appears^ to have been intro- 

 duced into Biolang, during the last century, but 

 has thriven so well that it may be now confeiider- 

 ed indigenous to the island* It generally attains 

 the height of seven or eight feet,* and presents a 

 very grotesque appearance from the manner in 

 which il grows, ihe stem being f?traight» and the 

 branches twisted into every variety of figure. The 

 blossoms are pinkish white, and gk)l)ular, so as to 

 present the appearance of small i^now balls. The 

 small stems which support the foliage, and the 

 leaves themselves are glaucous, and contain a bit- 

 ter sap. The plants are spread, as it were, over the 

 whole island, and, by their extending thus, leave 

 very little room for the cultivation of other trees. 



The gambier is propagated by seed, and, when 

 the plants have obtained the hei^rht of five or six 

 inches, they are tranf^planted from the nursery 

 to afield prepared and cleared for tlieir reception, 

 and where they are put in holes about a foot 

 deep, and five or six inches diameter, a space of 

 five feet being allowed between each plant. 

 They are protected from the heat of the sun by 

 boughs thickly interwoven, and stretched hori- 

 zontally above them ; after they have been about 

 two months in the new soil, they require no fur- 

 ther care beyond the common precaution of 

 keeping the ground free from weeds, which would 

 otherwise stifle them. 



When the plants have attained the age of from 

 six to eight months, the cultivators begin to cut 

 the shoots, which are used in the manufacture of 

 gambier, and repeat this process twice a year 



* Appendix 



