Dec. 1, 1893.J THE TROPICAL AGRlClJLTmUST, 389 
GREVILLEA EOBUSTA. 
This well-known tree— the " Silky Oak " of Aus- 
tralia — is now so freely grown on Ceylon planta- 
tions that the following notes upon it by Mr. J. 
H. Maiden, Oonsulting Botanist, Syiney, cannot 
fail to be of interest tj our planters. He writes 
in the latest Agricultural Gazette of New South 
Wales :— 
The Silky Oik is an excellent plant for bee?. L'ke 
mos* of its ooDgenere, it abounda iu nectar. When in 
full bloom it is a girgeoas sight, the masses of orange- 
oolourod bloasonn being well set off by the beautiful 
fern-likc foliage, The fruit is technioilly kooAJn as 
a " follicle," a'id is about throe quarters of an inoh 
long. It ooutains two winged seeJs. The Silky Oali 
being in such steady demand, ripe seeds are alwuys 
valuable, and they shoald be collecte 1 and preserved 
wherever practioable. Their retail price ascends to 
as much as 5 i. per onoe and more, and in some sea- 
Bons they oin hardly be boaght, so rare do they be- 
came. Besides the local demand, a qunntity is exported 
to other colonies and foreign couotries every year. 
Exudation — Like a number of other plants, the 
Silky Gate prodnceiat different times, or aider dif- 
ferent oitcum9tance<, two kinds of einditioas, the 
one a true gum, and the other a gum-resin, i.e., an 
admixture of gum and reain. As regards the gum- 
resio, it was first exhibited in llie New South Wales 
Uoutt at the Paris EihibitiDn, 1867, bat no notice 
appears to have been taken of the aubstanoe until, iu 
the year 1885, Mons. Fleury published a chemicil 
analysis of a sample which he had obtained from 
trees growing in Algeria, in which cinntryit has been 
thoroughly acolimatiaad. Hia results are too techni- 
cal for reproduction here but they showthe gun resin 
to be a very interesting substance. Since then I have 
obtained a quantity frjin the K ohcaond Biver. When 
quile fresh and so't it ia of a p culisr yellow colonr, 
but on lurdeuiug it asmtnos something of a flash or 
wine colour. It hJs an extremely disagreeable smell. 
Tbe local opinion is that there ia more " gum " during 
rainy weather than during drier seisons. The country 
people IojIi upon it as a uuiaanca, as it stickj to the 
horses' miues when they rub thcmaelvea against 
the trees. Aa regards Silky Odk gum, it has only 
been recorded, so far as I know, by one observer. 
In some notes on the Shevaroy Hills, India, for 1881, 
by Deputy Sargeon-Oaneral Shortt, the following p»8- 
ea^e ooonra : — " Of the plant" introduced in these hilb, 
I have tj notice a peculiarity as regards Greodlea 
robusta, one tree, which is now 11 years old, hisduring 
the rains produced spDntaneoasly each year about 10 
ounces of a translucent gum, which has no smell or 
particular taste, i? of a pale yellow colour, and mixes 
readily with water, when it forms a wliitish-brown 
coloured muoilagfl, and as a paste answers all the 
purposes of the so-oallel gam aribic for adhesive 
purposes." A true gum is here evidently referred to. 
Timber. — Piile-coloured, from creamy to flesh- 
coloured, but darkeniog with age. It has the pretty 
mottled grain which is characteristic of most of the 
timbers of the Natural Order (the rrjteacriB), to 
which it belongs, and which includes the honysuckles, 
^eebuogs, nut-trees, wirataha, Hakeasond many others. 
It splits readily, and is hence used largely for staves 
in tne Korthcra Diatricts. It is elastic and durable. 
In Bome expariments on our native timbers, conducted 
at the Sydney Mint in the year .1860, the specitio 
gravity of Silky Ojk timberjwas given at '56^, equiva- 
lent to a weight of 35 lb. 4 oz. per cubic foot. 
Another specimen, whose specific gravity was deter- 
mined by ihe wr.ter, gave 30 lb. 2 oz. per cubic foi)t, 
'whiles toird^correspouded to oSlb. 14 oz. per cubic foot. 
Its uae, besides the local ones of cabinet-work, 
ahinglea for roofs snd lining boards, hia hitherto been 
for tallow-oaaks. Iti pale colour and abacoce of taste 
have also Bn><Ke3led its use for wine-:a?ks. Following 
ia an iuteres.ing lotter from Mr. Thomas Biwden, 
of Graftoo. well known aa an authority on sjoh aub- 
jocts :— " From 18W in this diatrict down to the 
advent of galvanisoJ irou-watc, Silky Oak timber was 
f,\ma\ tl^Q gnl; wood usad fvi' luilk-^ugk^ta and dtU; 
utensils generally, for which purpose it wai found 
admirably suited. Silky Oak has been proved here 
to he a durable timber. 1 know a house erected in 
1852 floored with Silky Oik, whose floor is still per- 
fectly eound unleea where it was exposed to the 
weitber, such as ce ir the edge of the verandah, show- 
ing for durability and suitability for flooring its supe- 
riority to hardwood, and tiat it ia equal to some of 
the imported timbers used for that purpose. Daring 
the boiling-uown eta this district waa almost swept 
of Silliy Oak, so that there is now very little to be 
found of any size. I know a selector who appears 
lobe more wi'ie than his fellows, who baa a very fine 
plantation of Silky Oik trees which will in a few 
years be of great value. From my knowledge of the 
timber it is only secoad for many purposes to Ihe 
Ked Cedar to far na commercial value is concerned, 
and is in some respects superior to that valuable 
timber. 
The Silky Oik shows ooi siderable adaptibility to 
climate. Its nitural home is on the Northern Rivers, 
yet it flourishes iu the dry western country, showing, 
aa Baron von Blueller has pointed out, that it resists 
drnuffht in a remakable degree, It does well in the 
tropica, as experience in Inlia, Oeylon, Jamaica, &c. 
as anply proved. It is also tolerant to cold. The 
Secretary to the Park Trusteea at Adelong Oroseing 
reports that Sily Oak trees planted three years since 
are uow 15 feet high, and 15 inches in circamferoLca 
of trunk at 6 inches from the ground. They are grow- 
ing rapidly, are not in a sheltered place, and were 
only 3 feet high when planted The Silky Oaks do 
well at Bchuoa in Victoria, farther south still, and 
they flower even in Melbourne. Grevillea robiista finds 
a place in the list of hardy trees and shrubs of a 
Tasmaniin nursaryman, so that brings the geogra- 
phical limit of out-door culture as far south as Tas- 
mania. 
Size.— Up to 70 or 80 feet in height, with a trunk 
diameter of 2 or 3 feet. 
Propagation. — From seed. It prefers deep, riob, 
moist soil, and the protection of other trees, but it ia 
very accommodating, making fine growth under what 
would be called uncongenial surrouadinga. It is hardly 
possible to name an Australian tree which promises 
a more profitable return than does the Silky Oak. It 
is being used for street planting, and the worst that! 
can be said of it is that, being semi-deciduous, it is 
apt to make a little litter in winter. 
The " Silky Oak " ought to become the popu- 
lar name in our hill country as it ia in the 
Southern Colonies and, as we have said once 
before, it is likely to prove the most useful arboreal 
gift ever bestowed on Oeylon by Australia, 
♦ 
DRUG EEPORT; 
(From the Chemist and Druggist.) 
London, Oct. 28. 
Ann-atio.— Pnlly per lb. higher. Of 26 bags ahowa 
today 18 sold with good competition at per lb. for 
fine bright seei from Ceylon and Madras, and 2d per lb. 
for dull. 
CiNWAMos remains in aitive request for arrival, further 
salea being reported at OJi per ID., c.i.f terms for usual 
assortmeat, November-Jauuary shipment. 
Coca-leaves are iu large auppiy, bu: the market ia 
quite neglected. For fair to good strong brownish Hua- 
uoco leaves ; Is il to Is 6d per lb ia asked, and for 
broben green Trusillo la 2d to Is 3d per lb. Eleven 
cases fair hard grey leaves from Colombo were boagho 
ia at 10 per lb. 
CuiiEBs. — Whatever scarcity may have existed a short 
time ago (when it was said that, in spite of the fairly 
cousiderabie atociia iu existence, holders were unwillingly 
to Sell except at au advance) has been removed by the 
arrival of a consignment of i.2i ba^s of cubcbs from Sin- 
gapore. Another lot of 11 bags fair bnsht gcnuiac ber- 
rio.-i, not stalky, imported via Amsterdam sold cheaply at 
tjis 6d per cwc. 
Kola.— Of 21 cases shown to lay only 5 sold at lijd to 
rjd per lb. tor good, bright, partly mouldy. Wojt ludiaa 
kolaa, and at 2d per lb. (or common dark quality. 
QuiNiNK.— The market kecpi very firm, uut quiet. The 
only business reported this woo't is a .lalo ol ."i.OJO c/.. 
accoud-hmd German bulk at'J jiporoz. Twj pirceli were 
offered at today's sales, one of theao consi-tluir ol ;,0'Xi oa. 
Ot WUifliu'a bMud, iu lu«-o«. tius, bjofiht m»U«W 
