HOirnCULTURAL NOTES, Etc. 
4 — 
APHIDES. — See “ Diseases of Plants, and How to Clieck Tliem." 
ASPAEAOUS. — This useful vegetable is not as frequently found in 
Queensland market gardens as one could desire. In case this may be from 
a want of the knowledge as to how to prepare a bed, directions are given : 
— The soil should he trenched 2 or A ft. deep, and m^inure be very liberally 
mixed in during the trenching. If the soil be light and open, nothing 
more will be required, but if heavy it should have sand added and charred 
vegetable refuse, so as to bring it into a friable state. If very heavy, take 
out the soil to tlie dejdh ol 3 ft., rejecting all that is not in an ameliorated 
condition, which may not be more than the top spit, and mix with this an 
equal quan’ily of turfy light loam, vegetable soil or refuse at least half 
decayed, or leaf soil and well-decayed manure, the whole being thoroughly 
iccorporated and a bftli pjirt of sand added, and with this compost fill up 
the space intended to be planted a foot higher than the general ground level 
to allow for settling. Plant 1-ycar-old plants in about July or August, in 
beds 4 ft. wide with 2 ft. alleys betM'een thorn, three rows to be in a bed 
and the plants 1 ft. apart. If large heads are wanted, plant in rows 3 ft. 
apart and the plants IJ ft. asunder. Seed may bo sown and the plants 
thinned out to a proper distance. See that the bed is well drained. 
CAPEE- PLAIS'T. — Mr. Hill had a nice healthy plant of this in the 
botanic garden ; it was, however, lost by being removed, and I cannot find 
that plants have since been introduced, besides its economic uses, this 
plant is showy, and well worthy of a place in tlie garden. It produces fruit 
in abundance, and the seed.s germinate freely; but being very liable to damp 
off, anotlier mode of propagation maybe pointed oixt : The plant is deciduous. 
When it first breaks forth into leaf in the spring, take ofl the young shoots 
when about an inch long with the thumb and finger, and dibble these into 
a pot of compost made of sand (white), three parts, and charcoal (powdered 
or broken fine), one part, and place in frame or greenhouse ; these will soon 
form root s, and may then be potted off in the ordinary manner. 
CASSAVA MEAL is prepared from both the Eitter Cassava Eoot/’ 
Manihob utilissima, and the “ Sweet Cassava Root,” Manihot Aipi. 
The root is grated, by which the cells, containing the juice and starch- 
grains, are broken up. Tlie grated material is placed under pressure, some- 
times with water pouring through it. The pressure squeeises out all the 
juice, wliile a certain propoidion of the starch-grains passes over with the 
liquor. The substance left under pressure consists chietly of the cell-walls 
broken up, but also of some starch -grains. This is Cassava meal, which is 
dried on hoi plates and made into Cassava cakes. The liquor which passes 
away under pressure, being the pure juice only, or the juice mixed with 
water, is allowed to stand for some time, wdien the starch settles to the 
bottom, and the liquor is poured off. The starch-grains, as seen under 
the microscope, are mnllar-shaped. This is Cassava starch proper, as 
distinguished from Cassava meal. — Ex. Jamaica Bot. Bulletin, 1892. 
COCOKUT FIBRE DUST. — "When bought it will be found a mixture 
of hair-like fibres and reddi.sh dust. It is this dust which is so excellent a 
material for mixing with the soils to be used for potting ferns, and, indeed, 
most plants. For striking cuttings it is most useful. A portion of the 
more fibroiis parts is found to be a very useful material for iffacing over the 
crocks used for pot-drainage, to prevent the soil from going down and 
clogging up the drainage. 
