308 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. [ April is, was. 
Fimus. 
Water . 15-43 
•Organic matter and water of combination . 41 • 17 
fl’liosphoric anhydride. 7-86 
Carbonic. 1'70 
Silicic . 657 
Sulphuric . 7’81 
Chorine . 014 
Calcic oxide (Lime). 13-28 
Magnesic „ (Magnesia). 3'48 
Potassic „ (Potash) . 044 
Sodic „ (Soda) . 0 58 
Ferric „ (Iron rust) . 0’76 
Aluminic „ (Aiuminia). 0'80 
100-00 
* f Containing Nitrogen . 2’14 
[ Equal to Ammonia . 2"60 
t (Monobasic or soluble phosphate . 4 62 
•’ Equal to Tribasic . 612 
(.As Tribasic. 11-04 
Total Tribasic phosphate . 17-16 
HONG KONG. 
(Continued from page 3S1 last volume.') 
In the Botanic Garden is a plot containing upwards of fifty 
species of Palms in excellent condition, growing side by side with 
a collection of Conifers, consisting of Araucarias, Thujas from 
Japan, Podocarpuses, Cypresses, Taxodiums, Dammaras, Frenelas, 
and Cypresses, all apparently quite at home. Mexico is also 
represented fairly well in Cacti, which grow very rapidly and are 
perfectly contented with their Chinese home. 
Gardening by the natives is only carried on to a very limited 
extent. They grow different kinds of European vegetables in the 
cold season for the market, and some for their own use. The 
Chinese are great vegetable-consumers, and immense quantities 
of these arrive daily in Hong Kong from the mainland, a large 
quantity of which is grown in British Kowloon. Fruit for the 
Hong Kong market comes chiefly from near Canton, and consists 
of Bananas, Litchis, Largons, Persimmons, Carambolas, Peaches, 
Pine Apples to a small extent, Pumelos, Oranges, Custard Apples, 
Mangos, Wampees, Rose Apples, Kumquats, &o. The best Mangos 
come from Manilla, and Pine Apples and Mangosteens from Singa¬ 
pore and Bargpok, and Pumelos from Amoy and Swatow. Grapes 
are grown near Tientsin and Newchwang in the north, and are 
sent to Hong Kong ; but the best Chinese Grapes are very in¬ 
ferior to English-grown ones, they are almost entirely devoid of 
the rich Grape flavour to which we are accustomed in England. 
Pears are grown on the opposite coast to Hong Kong, in places to 
a large size, and they are very good stewed ; but though used as a 
dessert fruit, they would find no place on an English table, as in 
reality a good Turnip tastes better. Spongy Apples arrive from 
the north, but the best of all come from America. 
Of all the fruits mentioned above by Mr. Ford I have tasted 
almost all. With the exception of the Durien of Borneo, which 
I have not had either the misfortune of smelling or the felicity 
of eating, they comprise most of what are reputed to be the finest 
tropical fruits ; and I have no hesitation in saying, that in the 
opinion of a newly-arrived European, excepting, perhaps, the 
Pine Apple and the Mangosteen, they are not to be compared with 
either the Strawberry, the Cherry, the Grape, the Red Currant, 
the Fig, or the Pear. After the Pine Apple and the Mangosteen 
come, I think, the Persimmon and the Litchi, though some prefer 
the Mango and the Banana. The Custard Apple is too gritty 
and sickly-sweet to be agreeable in large quantities. The Singa¬ 
pore Pine Apple, especially when purchased fresh upon the spot, 
is one of the kings of fruits, and the flavour of an English hothouse 
specimen does not give the faintest idea of that which it possesses 
in its native habitat. The Mangosteen is the size of a small Pome¬ 
granate or medium-size Apple, and on its dark greenish rind 
being cut open shows a circular mass of white viscous pulp 
somewhat similar to a mixture of snow, cream, butter, and lemon, 
in which are the seeds, the whole lying in a sort of spongy bed, 
from which it must be extracted in order to be eaten. In flavour 
it is acidulous, soft, and melting. The Mango is a green, oblate- 
oval, flat fruit, varying from 4 to G inches in length, with a narrow 
yellowish flesh lying between the rind and a large stone, which cor¬ 
responds in outline to the exterior, but clinging so firmly to its 
flesh as to make the elegant handling of it almost impossible. The 
only way is to scrape off the flesh as it lies on your plate in the 
most successful manner you can. The taste for the Mango is, in 
my opinion, a more acquired one than that for any of the other 
fruits here mentioned, and impossible to describe. The ripe Litchi 
is about the size of a small Plum, with a greenish-brown shell, 
which upon being broken or torn off shows a white, opaque, fleshy 
sort of substance, of sweetish taste and rather juicy, enfolding a 
brown stone. Unlike the Mango it is a very easily eaten fruit, 
and though not having such a peculiar flavour, yet does not pall 
upon the palate. When dried they very much resemble raisins 
without the raisin flavour. The Persimmon is by no means unlike 
the Tomato, but has its skin of a paler orange colour and uni¬ 
formly distended. It is of the same colour throughout, with but 
few seeds and small, very pulpy, sweetish, and refreshing. On 
the whole it may be said of tropical fruits that they are suited 
to the climes in which they grow, and to be appreciated ought to 
be eaten there during a period of residence extending over many 
years, when the palate will become capable of distinguishing the 
delicate differences that exist between them. I doubt whether in 
the moist heat of the tropical mornings the less juicy fruits of the 
temperate zone would after a while seem so refreshing as those 
grown in a tropical habitat.— Traveller. 
GARDEN LABELS. 
I SEND a description of an exceedingly simple form of label 
that I have observed in use in the Blair Drummond grounds, and 
which seems to me quite sufficient. It is employed in naming 
shrubs and the rarer forms of trees, and in the fernery, for which 
it appears particularly well adapted, the form being of course 
longer or of a squarer shape to suit the name. It is the simple 
way in which the wire is inserted that strikes me as being superior 
to the more complicated arrangements of those that have been 
shown in the Journal. The bending of a wire sufficiently strong 
and serviceable in small tallies is troublesome, and I think it is 
quite unnecessary. The wire employed at Blair Drummond is a 
smaller or a thicker kind of that used in wire fencing, according 
to the thickness of the wood used, which varies from a quarter to 
three-eighths, or in some cases, half an inch. A hole a trifle smaller 
than the diameter of the wire is bored in the lower edge of the 
labels, and the wire driven a little into the wood. If desired, a 
slight bend at the neck will give a quarter or less inclination as 
may be desired. I know that these labels have stood unrenewed 
for considerably over twelve years. The wood seems to be gene¬ 
rally common pine, heavily smeared with white paint. I mean to 
begin immediately to make such for my Phloxes and herbaceous 
plants, and to alter what I now have of the common form in use 
by inserting the wire as indicated. After that long time the 
tallies I inspected last night are perfectly good, and appear likely 
to remain so for years to come, both in the wood and the firmness 
with which they remain fixed to the wire. The latter varies in 
length according to the soil, &c., in which it is inserted. It is the 
simplicity of the mode of attachment to which I would draw at¬ 
tention. Form and size can be made to suit the individual taste. 
—A Northern Amateur. 
I enclose a pattern of one I use (fig. 62). I find them good and 
permanent. 1 generally have the legs about 6 inches long according 
to size of labels. I think the two wires have an advantage over 
one, at least for outdoor work, as when there is but one wire the 
wind turns them about like a weathercock, but no amount of 
wind will affect them with two legs in the ground; besides, you 
have the advantage of having the name straight before you for 
