NOTES AND ABSTEACTS. 



167 



Ppoteaceae. By E. Goeze {Oestr. Gart. Zeit. vol. vi. pt. ix. 

 pp. 330-5, and pt. viii. pp. 308-11). — At the beginning of last century 

 the Proteaceae were great favourites under glass, but the fashion has 

 now changed. Among the most beautiful were Dryandra longifolia, 

 D. armata, D. nohilis, D. pteridifolia, B. tenuifolia, and D. plumosa. 

 Banlcsia coccinea is a beautiful shrub. B. speciosa, B. dryanoides, and 

 B. Victorias were highly prized. Grevillea Leucadendron, G. chryso- 

 dendron, G. alpestris, G. Banksii, G. Hillii, G. Preissii, G. pulchella, 

 G. punicea, G. pteridifolia, G. Thelemanniana, and the giant 

 G. rohusta are all worthy of cultivation. Many species of Hakea are 

 easily grown in a cool house ; their bluish-green foFiage is attractive. 



Stenocarpus CunningJiamii is a great acquisition in Southern 

 Europe. Leucadendron argenteum, the Silver tree of the Cape, is 

 valued on account of its lovely foliage. The best worth cultivation of 

 the Proteas are grandifiora, pulchella, acuminata, formosa, radiata, and 

 latifolia. Mimetes Zeyheri has a pink involucrum. Emhothrium 

 Goccineum from Chile bears red flowers. Guevina Avellana, an ever- 

 green, is very attractive in gardens in the South of Europe. 



S. E. W. 



PPUnus Sarg'entie (Bot. Mag. t. 8111). — Japan. Family, Eo- 

 saceae; tribe, Pruneae. Tree, the Japanese Cherry," 80 feet m 

 height, trunk to 3 feet diameter. Leaves, 2^-3^ inches long. Flowers, 

 rose-colour IJ-l^ inches across. Drupe, purplish-black. — G. H. 



Pulque. By A. Burgerstein {Oestr. Gart. Zeit. vol. vi. pt. vii. 



pp. 252-8; 3 plates). — Pulque, the national beverage of Mexico, is 

 obtained from the Agave, generally from A. atrovirens, but many 

 other species are used. When the seedlings have attained a height 

 of four inches they are taken up, their leaves cut off, all except the 

 central shoot, and the roots cut hard back. They are left to lie for 

 seven days in the sun, and then replanted in a well-manured bed. 

 Next year when they have reached a height of ten inches they are 

 taken up again, the roots cut back, and replanted after exposure to 

 the sun for fourteen days. They now send up abundant shoots in 

 the axils of the leaves, which may be planted. The operation of 

 root pruning and sun baths is repeated once more. When the plants 

 are six to ten years old the central bud is cut off. Six months later 

 the heart of the Agave is hollowed out, forming a vessel a foot and 

 a half deep, which in the course of a week fills with liquid. This is 

 collected twice daily. In good ground an Agave will yield from one 

 to one and three-quarters of a gallon of aguamiel daily for eight 

 Dionths. The plant then dies. The liquid contains about ten per 

 cent, of sugar. Some of the liquid is drunk as it is drawn from the 

 plant, but most of it is fermented and converted into pulque. 



S. E. W. 



"Punkies," Notes on. By F. C. Pratt (U.S.A. Dep. Agr., Bur. 

 Entom., Bull. 64, pt. iii. ; April 1907; 4 figs.).— The " punkie " (Cera- 



