i6o 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[_'Sept.  i,  1892. 
proportions  and  exploded  in  the  usual  manner.  In- 
stead of  using  an  electric  spark  for  the  purpose  of 
exploding  the  mixture  as  in  the  “ Priestman,"  a tube 
kept  hot  by  means  of  a flame  fed  from  the  vapouriser 
is  used  with  very  satisfactory  results. 
One  of  the  difficulties  met  with  in  these  engines 
has  been  to  render  them  efficient  when  working  at 
light  loads.  This  is  accomplished  in  the  “Otto,"  the- 
results  obtained  proving  that  even  when  working  at 
half  and  quarter  loads,  their  cost  of  working  is  such 
as  to  render  its  use  advisable. 
There  is  a large  field  open,  for  motive  power  of 
this  description,  and  we  anticipate  that  in  the  course 
of  a few  years  they  will  be  very  generally  adopted. 
Gas-engines  require  either  a gas  works  to  be  in  im- 
mediate proximity  or  for  a gas  generating  plant  to 
be  on  the  premises  with  all  its  attendant  incon- 
veniences, while  these  oil  engines  only  required  to 
be  supplied  with  oil  as  the  reservoir  becomes  empty. 
There  is  little  doubt  that  the  experience  which  has 
already  been  gained  by  the  manufacturers  of  gas- 
engines,  and  which  is  being  used  in  these  motors 
will  result  in  them  being  still  further  perfected,  and 
that  with  the  cost  of  petroleum  becoming  lower  and 
lower,  their  economy  and  convenience  will  result  in 
many  isolated  installations  of  the  electric  light  being 
put  up  in  places  where  without  them  the  light 
would  be  impracticable  owing  to  its  great  cost.  The 
electrical  engineer  will  do  well  to  endeavour  to  make 
known  how  simple  and  economical  these  motors  really 
are. — Indian  Engineer,  July  2. 
EDIBLE  WILD  PLANTS. 
Many  of  the  oulicary  herbs  of  former  days  are  no 
longer"  in  use,  simply  because  they  have  been  super, 
seded  by  cultivated  substitutes  of  superior  quality. 
Taking  some  of  the  moresubstantial  kinds  of  vegetables 
of  which  the  wild  progenitors  are  native  and  abunda  t 
in  some  parts  of  this  country — tbe  carrot  and  parsnip, 
for  example — we  find  the  roots  are  exceed ingly  email 
and  their  acrid  properth  s so  much  more  strongly 
developed  as  to  render  them  uneatable  to  the  present 
Briton.  As  for  seakale,  though  the  wild  plant  is  uot 
unwholesome,  there  is  uot  much  of  it  in  the  whole  of 
the  United  Kingdom  (where  it  is  confined  to  the  coast) 
and  the  wild  plant  is  so  different  from  the  succulent 
blanched  product  of  cultivation  that  one  woul  1 only 
eat  it  as  an  antisoorbuTc  in  care  of  extreme  neoeesity. 
Celery,  another  native  plant,  is  not  merely  unwhole- 
some in  a wild  state,  it  i3  absolutely  dangerous 
though  formi  rly  occasionally  used  in  very  small 
quantities,  according  to  the  herbals,  for  flavouring 
soups.  Other  instances  might  be  given,  but  < ur  object 
is  to  poiut  out  that,  so  long  as  we  cau  obtain  culti- 
vated vegetables,  wild  produce  will  not,  in  a general 
way,  tempt  us,  because  cultivation  improves  the  quality 
of  the  vegetable  to  a remarkable  degree.  Cultivation 
relieves  the  p!aut  from  ail  struggle  for  existence,  and 
supplies  the  conditions  (or  quick  growth  and  generous 
nutrition,  so  that  the  cultivated  vegetable  is  almost  in- 
variably preferable  to  tbe  wild.  Apart  from  this  it  is 
doubtful  whether  a large  number  of  vegetables  wonld 
afford  a greater  variety  for  the  table  tbau  we  already 
possess  — greater  variety  we  mean  iu  regard  to  their 
flavour  and  henlth-giviog  properties,  to  say  nothiug  of 
their  nutriiive  value.  Take  the  cruoiferse  for  example. 
When  we  realise  that  the  turnip,  oabbage,  cauliflower, 
kale,  rtdish  and  crese,  in  all  their  manifold  varieties, 
belong  to  this  natural  order,  and  that  italso  supplies 
the  coudiments  mustard  and  horseradish,  beeid<  a a 
number  of  less  familiar  articles  of  diet,  we  can  the 
more  readily  understand,  that,  although  there  are 
numerous  other  members  of  thi  same  order  that  are 
equally  ai  who'esome,  aud  might,  under  cultivation, 
ba  equally  as  toothsome,  the  chances  of  a distinct  new 
flavour  being  added  are  small.  It  is  pood  to  know, 
however,  in  the  absence  of  the  cultivated  plant  that 
there  sromany  wbd  plants  whioh  might  he  substituted. 
How  these  plants  are  to  bo  distinguished  caDn  t be 
conveyed  in  a sho-t.  article.  Indeed  personal  teaching 
is  the  only  aafo  and  trustworthy  guide.  As  a matter 
of  fact,  nearly  all  members  aye  innoououe,  if  not  really 
wbolefome.  Winter  cress  (Barbarea  vulgaris),  a com- 
mon plant  in  hedgerows,  famishes  a good  salad  iu 
early  spring,  when  there  is  little  in  the  garden  except 
under  glass.  In  Sweden  it  is  toiled  and  eaten  as  a 
vegetable,  and  it  is  valuable  on  account  of  its  extreme 
hardiness.  The  marsh  samphire  (Salicornia  herbacea)  is 
an  excellent  wild  vegetable,  and  where  it  is  abundant, 
as  ou  theshores  of  the  Wash,  it  is  collected  and  sold 
by  itinerant  vendors,  at  a rate  that  must  bring  many 
shillings  into  their  pockets.  But  of  all  the  wild  plants 
that  bave  a ouliuary  reputation,  the  common  etinging- 
cetlle  is  the  commonest  and  most  generally  diffused, 
growing  in  waste  places  and  by  roadsides  in  snob 
abundance  that  a mess  of  it  may  easily  be  procured, 
though  this  would  not  long  be  the  case  did  all  the 
villagers  understand  its  value  as  a pot  beib-  For- 
merly it  was  cultivated,  and  in  Scotland,  on  good 
authority,  “ it  was  the  practice  to  force  nettles  for 
early  kail.’’  la  some  districts  tbe  practice  of  eating 
nettles  ha3  survived,  and  in  ethers  it  has  been 
revived,  but  not  usually  by  the  poorer  people,  who 
are  often  more  fastidious  in  such  matters  than  their 
well-to-do  neighbours.  From  actual  experience  we 
can  strongly  recommend  the  nettle  as  a whoLg’  me 
and  agreeable  vegetable,  and  we  also  recommend  it 
because  everybody  knows  what  a stincing-mUle  is, 
and  there  is  no  risk  of  mistaking  a dangerous  plant 
for  ir.  Dead  nettles  do  not  sfi"g,  and  their  o lour 
is  strong  and  disagreeable.  For  cooking,  nettles 
should  be  taken  while  young,  or  when  they  are 
grown  up  only  the  tips  should  be  taken,  and  spring 
is  the  best  time-  Boiled  in  a small  quantity  of 
water  until  tender,  and  served  with  a little  butter, 
pepper,  and  salt,  nettles  are  at  least  a good  sub- 
stitute for  spinach,  if  not  qnite  equal  in  flavour, 
though  some  persons  aver  that  they  are  not  inferior  in 
this  respect.  Equally  as  good,  but  not  often  found 
in  quauti  y in  a wild  state,  are  the  shoots  of  tbe 
common  bop,  when  from  six  inches  to  a feot  out  of 
the  ground,  or  the  tips  of  the  older  Bhoots.  But  we 
can  ouly  repeat  that  the  supply  of  wholesome  wild 
vegetables  is  very  limited;  whilst  uncultivated  or 
badly  cultivated  land  is  almost  unlimited,  and  the 
only  remedy  we  have  to  suggest  for  the  alleged 
scarcity  of  vegetables  in  the  country  is  the  extension 
of  the  allotment  system  and  the  encouragement  of 
gardening  generally. — British  Medical  Journal. 
American  Sticklac. — According  to  the  Washing- 
ton Star,  trees  of  the  etinkwcod  and  acacia  variety 
infested  with  insects  of  the  Bame  character  as 
those  whioh  in  Asia  produce  the  atioklac  of  com- 
merce, have  recently  been  discovered  to  exist  in 
great  profusion  in  the  South-Western  States  from 
Utah  to  Mexico,  and  from  the  Colorado  Desert  to 
Texas.  It  is  believed  that  with  a proper  system 
of  cultivation  these  “valuable  bugs”  oould  be 
propagated  to  such  an  extent  as  to  render  America 
independent  of  the  Old  World  for  her  sticklac  and 
shellao  supplies. — Chemist  and  Druggist,  June  llth. 
Insecticides. — The  following  notes  by  Dr.  J.  C. 
Neal,  the  entomologist  to  the  State  Agricultural 
College,  Florida,  U.  S.  A.,  will  be  found  of  interest: — 
Nothing  has  been  done  in  practical  entomology 
that  has  shown  better  results  than  the  use  of 
emulsions  containing  kerosene  or  insoluble  poison 
held  in  suspension,  and  their  application  to  infected 
plants  in  a fine  spray  by  various  atomisers  and 
spray  pumps»  With  one  of  these  machines,  an 
inseetioide  oan  be  brought  into  contact  with  the 
insect,  and  its  feeding  ground  thoroughly  impregnated 
with  poison.  It  is  needful  that  the  spray  be  very 
fine,  and  that  it  be  applied  with  force  to  reach 
every  infected  part  or  the  hiding-plaoes  of  insects. 
For  cases  like  infected  buildings,  as  chicken-houses, 
that  are  usually  very  difficult  to  keep  olear  of 
mites  and  tick  fleas,  the  spray  of  oarbolised  white- 
wash, tobaooo,  kerosene,  oil  of  tansy,  &c.,  is  easily 
applied. — Indian  Agriculturist,  June  llth. 
