tropical agriculturist. 
[November 2, 1891. 
35 4 
it is, iwrhaps, wortli wliile to call attention to the 
case with which that beautiful tree can be propa- 
gated for cuttings. As is well known, it is only 
necessary to take a piece of a branch and insert it 
into moist sand and to protect the cutting with a 
jjell-glass to secure a rooted plant ; but it is loss well 
known, perhaps, that the last articulation of the 
brancii is capiiblo of making roots much more quickly 
and readily than those lower down. Mr. Gamble, 
inspector of tho forests of Madras, in South India, 
tells me that when they desire, in his district, to 
make jdantations of this valuablo tree, workmen 
always take_ the end of a branch with a single leaf 
for tho cutting, as experience has shown that this 
is the way to obtain plants quickly and surely, and 
I believe that horticulturists would do well to follow 
this plan always in propagating Fictm rlanttea. 
This tree, by tho way, does not demand a real tro- 
pical climate. On tho contrary, it nourishes outside 
the tropics in regions where snow falls sometimes and 
which experience several degrees of frost. I have 
seen in the beautiful garden of Hamah, near Algiers, 
raecimens of Ficus tlaslicu, and of its relative, F. 
Roxlmryhti, as largo as our large forest-trees, casting 
a shade blacker and thicker than I have over seen 
before. Generally, tho genus Ficus is hardy and 
cas^ to acclimatize. 
^Ficus amteaUs succoods admirably in Algiers, and 
F.Snijamim ia used in the same city ns a shade tree 
in the suburb of Mustnpha. There is alorgo speci- 
men of F’iciis aiistmlis, already old, on the Italian 
Rivera at Mentone, which, protected on the north by 
a house, forms a superb mass of dark green foli^e ; 
and at Cadiz there is a handsome avenue of la^c Fig- 
trees, with small leaves, not far from the Botanic 
Garden. These are trees two feet or more in diameter 
of trunk, with thick spreading heads. There are often 
severe frosts, however, in ail these regions. 
With regard to tho fruit of Ficus elaatU-a, I have 
once seen it on a small plant cultivated in a pot at 
Bale, so that it appears that this species bears fruit 
sometimes in a comparatively young state. 
Bale, Switzerland. U. Ciiist. 
■ — Garden and Forest. 
PLANTS OK TREKS PER ACRE. 
The following table will bo found very convenient, 
as giving the number of plants or trees on an acre 
6 
in. 
each way, 
1.54,240 
6 
ft. 
each 
way, 
’’ 
1,200 
1 
ft. 
,, ,, 
43,5«) 
8 
ft. 
699 
14 
ft. 
♦j »» 
19,300 
10 
ft. 
«» 
430 
2 
ft. 
by 1 ft. .. 
21,780 
12 
ft. 
11 
300 
3 
ft. 
eaoli way. 
10,890 
15 
ft. 
11 
200 
3 
ft. 
by 2 ft. 
7,260 
18 
ft. 
11 
135 
5 
ft. 
each way. 
4,840 
20 
ft. 
1) 
r, 
110 
4 
ft. 
2,730 
22 
ft. 
11 
90 
5 
ft. 
o 
1,7.50 
.30 
ft. 
It 
„ 
.50 
Rows (1 ft. apart, and trees 1 ft. apart in the row’ 
7,31.5 trees per acre. 
Rows 8 ft. apart, nnd 1 ft. apart in tho row, 5,4.34 trees 
per acre. 
Rows 10 ft. apart, and 1 ft. apart in tho row, 4,389 trees 
per acre. 
One mile of wind-breaks or sholter-belts requires 
4,280 trees or cuttings for a single row, 1 ft. apart m the 
row. — Adelaide Observer. 
Botanicai, ENTKIPillSB IN Till: Wi:BT Inpikh. — The 
May number of tho Ktm llullrtin is devoted to a 
record of tho steps that have hceii taken to organise 
botanical stations for tho introduction, trial, and 
diffusion of plants of economic importance. This 
Ilullttin also contains the text of Mr. Morris' report 
on his recent visit to tho West Indies, embodying 
tho results of his visit to the several islands, and 
tho lectures therein given. His mission occupied 
19(1 days, and tho distance covered was a little over 
12,000 miles. As wo shall have another onportunity 
of alluding to Mr. Morris' work, and of iirustiating 
a new dwarf Palm discovered by him, WO content 
ourselves for the present with this brief moutiou. 
— Gardiners’ C’hrwielei 
Obass Seeds.— Few continental cities can show 
such beautiful lawns as those of England. The turf 
at the German exhibition is English, having boon 
sown down with Suttons’ Grass seeds. Wo also learn 
that the seeds sown to form the vehwty carpet of the 
arena at the Naval Exhibition, which was the only 
cheerful sight out-of-doors on the opening day, were 
supplied by tho same &na.— Gardeners' Chrontclc. 
Sutton’s Potatoes IN Cevi.on.— We learn that Messrs. 
Sutton & Sons, of Reading, were awarded a Gold 
Medal at tho Ceylon Agri-Horticultural Exhibition, 
held at Nnwara Eliya on April 1, 1891, for a collec- 
tion of Potatoes of excellent quality grown in the gardens 
of His Excellency the Governor of Ceylon, nnd in- 
cluded Abundance, Satisfaction, Seedling, Windsor 
Castle, Masterpiece, itc., all varieties of ftles.srs. 
Sutton's raising. — Ibid. 
Si'EM-EORM IN Cacti. — A correspondent lately sent 
us stems of a hybrid between Pnyllocaotns cronatns 
male and Gereiis spooiosiaaimus as the female parent, 
with the remark that tho seedlings all produce angular 
stems at first, hut that subsequently they become 
nattened, as in the mole parent. It was not unnatu- 
rally supposed that this change of form was tho result 
of a dissociation of hybrid characters (a sport) : but. 
unfortunately for this interpretation, we find that tho 
stems of Phyllocactns frequently produce angular 
branches without any crossing at all. — Ibid. 
Forestry in Ireeand. — The first special annual re- 
turn by the Registrar-General of forestry operations 
in Ireland has just been issued. It appears that 1,488 
acres were planted with trees in Ireland during the 
year ended Juno 30, 1890, of which 384 acres were in 
Leinster, .5.5fi in Munster, 329 in Ulster, and 219 in 
Connaught. The total number of trees planted on 
the 1,488 acres was 380,280. Larch trees constituted 
more tlian one-third, and Fir trees about 12 per cent. 
? ii*" j planted. The mwiber of trees 
fcllea both for clearance and for thinning plantations, 
during the 3 ^oar ended .Tune 30, 1800, amounted to 
1,256,887. Aboxit one-half of tho total number foiled 
consisted of Larch trues. Tho area returnod as clear- 
ed IS 1,399 acres— namely, 400 in Leinster, 78« in 
Munster, lfi5 m Ulster, and 48 in Connaught.— 
Miedew.— Onr American cousins find tlie practical 
aavantago of spraying their trees for mildew and various 
msects. Mr. li. T. Galloway, of the United States 
Uepj^tment of Agriculture, m a circular issued by 
the pepartmeut, says that experiments have proved 
^uclusively that powdery mildew of the Apple, Pear, 
&c., can readily be controlled at comparatively little 
expense. len millions of young fruit will bo treated 
this ycoi*. ihe Bordeaux mixture, or tho ammonia 
Bolution (carbonate of copper, 5oz., toSpintsof stronc 
liquid ammonia), dissolve, and mix with 45 gallons 
of water. A suitable spray-pnmp should be used, 
such as the knapsack-pump, or a barrol-punip, 
dra\vn by a horse. In no case should tho treat* 
ment be delayed beyond the period when tho 
leaves are half grown. Early treatment, vigilance, 
and repetition of the spray every twelve days, are tho 
most important points to bo kept in mind. — 
This well-known fibre, tho produce 
of a Nettle-bko plant, Bojhiiieria nivea, has been re- 
introduced of late with the idea of supplanting 
Silk, cotton, and worsted in the cheaper class of goods 
to bo used in upholstery wherever strength and dur- 
ability are required. From the samplos before us, it 
18 ovidont that tho fibre is capable of being dyed in 
a good raiigo of colours. In appearance, it is between 
fine wool and tbix-ttiread, lioing loss glossy than tho 
latter, and scarcely so rough as the fornior. At 
present, the cost of prodneing the fibre is a bar to 
objection will 
shortly bo loinovod, and tliat it will then take a promi- 
Uf.'I.i ."'."‘OBfe'!’*' materials for weaving, ns the 
jilant from which it is produced can lie readily grown in 
manyotonr colonies.' The fabric known asgmL.ZJh 
IS manufactured from the same fibre. It is a pity 
the name grass" should be attached to it, as it has 
as little to do with grass as it has with Cucumbers; 
Dut for porsistonce of error, there is nothing to heat 
k Impular hamo,— J/ aJ. 
