CULTURE OF THE CARAMBOLA AND BLIMBING AS FRUIT-TREES. 229 
10 to 12 per cent, of carbonate of lime, and above 32 per cent, of animal matter, with 
a trace of soda-salts. With the bone-dust were combined about 20 per cent, of 
powdered chalk, half that quantity of pearl-ash, and as much or more common salt. 
The great defect of this compost — as indeed it is of the best Guanos — is the 
absence of organic, decomposable substances, such as desiccated night-soil (cloacine 
or poudrette). It must be evident that, when solutions are made of such manures, 
as is done by mixing an ounce or two of them with a gallon of rain or pond- water, 
and using only the clear liquid, gardeners will obtain only the soluble salts, — the 
phosphate and carbonate of lime remaining as deposited feculences. Some gar- 
deners have said that great benefit has been derived from the use of such diluted 
solutions, particularly in pot-culture of the Scarlet Pelargoniums. We ourselves can 
assert that a very little powdered guano (10 to 20 grains) sprinkled over the surface 
soil, and immediately watered, has apparently increased verdure and growth ; but it 
ought always to be borne in mind, that Salts of Soda (as Common Salt), of Potassa, 
and Ammonia, and also the presence of that compound mixture which we have 
shown to exist in sea-water, may suddenly become very destructive. An instance 
lately occurred, and was made public, wherein great mischief had occurred with a 
numerous collection of plants, by the use of what was believed to be well-water in 
its ordinary condition. Nor was the error detected, till more destruction had 
followed the application of the same water ; when by chemical analysis, it was ascer- 
tained that saline matters had gradually found their way into the well through 
some underground channels, by inter-filtration of sea-water. 
Space is not here given for the continuation of our subject, as connected with 
the earths and alkalies that constitute the bases of the chief mineral and inorganic 
salts which occur in Practical Horticulture. 
CULTURE OF THE CARAMBOLA AND BLIMBING AS 
FRUIT-TREES. 
The Carambola is the Averrhoa Carambola of our botanical catalogues, and the 
Tamaratonga, Camoni, Camarunga, and Blimbing of the native Indians. It grows 
abundantly in the Indian Archipelago, Bengal, Ceylon, and all the warmer parts of 
Asia ; it was introduced to this country in 1793, and is associated with the 
Natural Order Oxalidacese. 
In its wild state it forms a tree fifteen or twenty feet high, with a slender stem, 
seldom exceeding eighteen inches in circumference. The bark is brown. Leaves 
alternate, pinnated, each consisting of four or five pairs of alternate leaflets, which 
are ovate-acuminate, entire, stalked, outer ones largest, and all of them irritable. 
Flowers in short racemes, lateral, scented, minute, of a bright rose-colour, springing 
from the naked stems and branches. Calyx smooth, of five sepals, red. Corolla 
small, consisting of five petals, in form campanulate ; segments oblong-ovate, 
