478 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[January i, 1891. 
a life-sized figure of the Saviour, too realistic in its 
gory details but with an old-world pathetic beauty 
yet about it. The audience consists entirely of the 
Spanish-Portuguese-Italian community, and compris- 
ing a number of half-breeds. The Indians pure have 
lonv been extinct. The Padre is a curiosity in him'elf, 
has” been many years here, and wears a beautiful 
beard down to his waist. He is said to be the only 
R C minister permitted to do so in America and 
required the Pope’s dispensation. The old gentleman 
used to suffer from severe catarrh, and something warm 
about his throat was the only cure. There is lying all 
about me a fund of interesting information and gossip 
for half a hundred letters and which I shall be pleased 
to repeat, from time to time, to the readers of the 
Ceylon Observer. 
■■ ' 
REPORT ON THE PROGRESS AND CON 
DITION OF THE BOTANIC GARDEN, 
ADELAIDE, SOUTH AUSTRAIA, 
DURING THE YEAR 1889. 
By R. Schomburgk, De. Phil., Dieecioe. 
Dr. Sohomburgk, although verging on fourscore, 
is still at his post in charge of the beautiful gardens 
at Adelaide, and has issued his report for last year. 
From this document we quote as follows 
The rainfall in and about Adelaide during 1889 was 
the most copious on record, as may be seen from 
the tables of the Government Astronomer, an extract 
from which is subjoined. The largest quantities of 
rain fell in the months of April, May, June, August, 
and Sepiember.* j j • 
The atmospheric conditions which prevailed during 
the summer months were abnormal, and this was the 
care during January and February also. Indeed, 
during these two months some of the most trying 
weather ever known was experienced. There were 
few hot winds, and the thermometer ranged between 
90° and 106° Fahr. in the shade and from 150° to 160° 
in the sun. The quantity_ of moisture m the air 
was unusually great, and it rendered the climate for 
the time being as uncomfortable and as distressing as 
it is ill Brisbane, and, at times, in Sydney. The 
beneficial effects of the season have extended over 
the whole colony, and have greatly tended to promote 
the nronress of agricultural and pastoral enterprises, 
but more especially of the former, which s ire y needed 
some stimulus after the bad effects of several previous 
drv seasons. The wheat crops m some districts would 
have reached 15 and 20 bushels per acre, or m many 
cases even more, but for the appearance oi that tcou-ge 
“ red rust ” which, in many places, destroyed whole 
crops, and' in consequence the average wheat yield was 
only ’7 bushels per acre. 
The fruit crop was a fair average one, and the 
fruit itself generally of fair size and good flavour. 
Tbo produce of the vineyards has also been satistac ory, 
hoUi as to quantity and quality. In the Botanic 
Gardens the flower parterres, borders, and carpet beds 
have (iesplaved a wonderful variety of colors, produced 
S the different flowers which flourished, during the 
summer months, such as Amaranths, Zinnias, Portula- 
cas Tagetes, &c. Their appearance generally has been 
sun’erior to anything previously seeu in the garden, 
■n l has elicited the warmest expres^ioua of adimratiou 
from the visitors to the garden. The roses however, 
suffered greatly from the rain, and trom the scorch- 
iiiL' sun in November and D, cumber, which destroyed 
;hc small flower buds, so tliat last year was not a 
favourable one for the development of the Urge collec- 
* /WJer The wood lathyrus— 7.ci'//iy/'it 
J.iui). -No forage plant hua ever ercatoa 
I, inch ' surprise ainoiigtt aKricuUini ts in (u i many 
. the wood l.athjrus. Al'hougli iudigiiums in both 
l■'■,,.,),md and Germany, its valuable lu opi rtios — ong nn- 
Uuown have only recently been (li.scovcred. I he 
lOyisur newspaper wes the (list to cull uttcnlion 
lo the plant by reproducing and extract from the 
t«- 'l lie exceptionally high rainfall was only !10’B72 
ioeb.-H not e.|ual to that of our iliiosl station m Goylou. 
.1. 
North British Agriculturist, which had been forwarded 
by Mr. .1. Christisoa, of Glare, who expressed the 
opinion that it meritel the attention of South 
Australian farmers. The Register truly observes — 
“ That farmers may be pardoned for hearing with a 
feeling of caution, merging with distrust, of some 
wonderful new fodder plant, which will grow enormous 
and most profitable crops on even the poorest soils, 
and which seems able to grow luxuriantly iu any 
climate. But the facts that have ]ust come to hand 
should BO far to convince even the most sceptical 
that a most valuable plant is tow being placed at 
the service of Agriculturists.” It is further said that— 
“The plant belongs to the order of Leguminosce , a.nA, 
as such, is able to forage for itself iu regard to 
nitrogen, of which it obtains abundant supplies either 
from the lower strata of soil or from the aboundless 
atmo, spheric stores. Even in the poorest s uls it grows 
a crop which will yield at least 4 tons of hay per 
acre. The nutritious value of the crop, as determined 
by chemical analysis, is about twice that of clover 
hay. The Prussian Minister of Agriculture has been 
so deeply impressed with the great value of this plant 
that a Government order has just been issued grant- 
ing to every Prussian landholder who cultivates the 
plant on his waste laud a subsidy of 30s. per hectare, 
a hectare being equal to two and a half English 
acres. As a consequence of this recognition of the 
plant all the avilable seed of the cultivated plant has 
been brought up at famine prices.” 
Having read this glowing account of this lathyrus, 
1 made it my duty to obtain some seed from Ger- 
many. It reached my hands iu January, and, in 
order to test its uitality, a few seeds were sown in 
in a flowerpot. They come up well, and the jilants 
have, up to the present tim-, grown luxuriantly. The 
plants have been well taken care of, so that their 
healthy growth can hardly, as yet, be taken as proof 
that they will thrive equally well in open ground. 
We mu-it, therefore, wait the result of the experi- 
ment! which have been made in thi.s way. With the 
seed I received an offlcial report, made by the director 
of the well-known agricultural 'college iu Germany, 
at Poppelsdorf, near Bonn, upon the plant, which 
says — “ The wood lathyrus, or flat pea, is found 
growing wild in the forests here and there, especially 
on basaltic formations. The stalks trail along the 
ground often to the length of 15ft. The creeping 
roots a'so spread to au unusual length, and in conse- 
quence abmrb from the poorest soil the most minute 
particles of nutritive matter contained in it for a great 
distance around the plant. It does not need any 
manure, and it resists drought. The wool lathyrus 
obtains a great age, and a specimen of a congener, 
the Lathyrus latifulius, has grown for no less than 
seventy-five ygars on the one spot. 
The wool lathyrus has been experiment d on and 
improved for several years by two gentlemen — Mes.srs. 
Wagner and Kiilmemaoii — with the moit sati.sfactory 
results. Even in the poorest soils the plants have 
considerably improved. For the first two years they 
grow slowly. Dining this period their rapidly spreading 
roots absorb the lu urishing matter necessary for the 
development of the plants. After the time loeutioned 
the growth is most remarkable, the crops yielding 
from 4 to 5 tons of hiy per acre. The plant is 
also remarkable f n- its ricline s in proteine con- 
tained in the straw, which has been found to range 
from 21 to 24 per cent. Plants cultivated in sandy scil, 
and iu heavy clay, possessed from 24 to 26 per cent., 
and ill some samples of the straw of the lathyrus 
as much as 29 per ce jt. his been fouud.” 
The straw is richoi- in nutritious properties than any 
other; with, perhaps, the exception of lentil straw. 
A cliemioal analysis of some of the straw gave 
the following re uhs; — 
Proteine 13‘97 
h’at'y matter 
Woody fibre 37'98 
Non-nitrogeiious substances 39-00 
Mineral matter 6'62 
100-00 
