October 16, 1890. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
343 
of which are worthy of notice. This tree is hardly higher than other 
Fig trees of the same country ; its height is from 4 to 5 metres, but it 
covers with its branches a considerable extent, which may be estimated 
at about 400 square metres. It is situated in the kitchen garden of a 
large farm ; the single trunk, somewhat low and twisted, is partially 
buried in a thick enclosure wall, which fact renders the estimation of 
its size very difficult; the section of the trunk is, we think, about 
15 square decimetres, corresponding to a tree of 40 centimetres in 
diameter. From this trunk, and at lm. 80 about from the soil, run 
horizontally and in every direction, a considerable quantity of 
branches, some of which spread themselves to a distance of more than 
15 metres from the trunk. These large branches serve as basis for a 
cluster of small branches which rise towards the light, forming a kind 
of roof of verdure. 
We can easily understand that a tree arranged in such a way cannot 
support itself. The thick branches lean against the enclosure walls of 
two small kitchen gardens, and on thirty-eight granite pillars, each 
formed of a single stone about 2 metres high and 30 to 40 centimetres 
thick. Between the two rows of parallel pillars is a covered alley of 
about 25 metres long. Beyond the last range of pillars the branches 
fall as far as the ground. When for the first time I saw this tree in the 
month of September, 1884, it was covered with leaves still green, which 
formed a thick shade ; the Figs seemed rather numerous and were 
beginning to ripen. 
I was curious enough to ask the farmer for some information about this 
extraordinary tree. I give his answers, which unfortunately are rather 
vague. “About what age is the tree,” I asked him. “ Sir,” he replied, 
“ the old people of the country have always seen it as it is at present.” 
“ How many ripe Figs does it give yearly ? ” “ As many as you like ; 
in spite of plucking them every day there always remain some more.” 
“ But how many do you take every day ? ” “ Several basketfuls during 
the season—that is to say, during two or three months.” “ Does this 
tree still grow 1 ” “ Yes, sir ; it would cover all the property it it were 
allowed to grow. I am obliged to cut every year the ends of the 
branches which come out of the alley.” 
However vague these observations may be I fancied that they were 
interesting enough to be noted, the more so as the Fig tree of Roscoff, 
in spite of its reputation, has not to our knowledge been described in a 
complete manner. This tree, although very old, is still very vigorous, 
and bears excellent fruits in abundance ; in spite of the disproportion 
existing between the dimensions of the trunk and those of the branches 
these last have still enough sap to continue to grow. A peculiarity 
which is rather strange is that the vegetation, rather rich in the environs 
of Norbaix and Saint-Pol-de-Leon, ceases so to speak where the Fig 
tree grows. Starting from the farm on which the tree is situated the 
sea wind scorches and lays the trees, which are stunted and thinly 
scattered over a soil arid and stony as far as the sea.— (La Nature .) 
THE PINE APPLE. 
During the last few years I have grown and ripened the fruit from 
the suckers in the same house. The last twelve months I have cut 
twenty-nine Pines, weighing 132 lbs. 14 ozs., the heaviest 10 lbs. 8 ozs., 
the lightest 2 lbs. 13 ozs. I cut the first Pine on October 4th, 1889, the 
last on September 20th, 1890. The house is span-roofed, 22 feet 6 inches 
long, 18 feet 6 inches wide, with side lights 2 feet high, and one entrance. 
The house is heated by four rows of pipes on each side and four rows of 
pipes under the Pines. The bed is in the centre of the house. It is 
17 feet long, 7 feet 6 inches wide, filled with tan 2 feet deep. Fresh 
tan is added to the old tan in spring and autumn. The latter is 
drenched with hot water to kill the insects. We grow between fifty and 
sixty plants. The soil we pot the suckers in is fresh fibrous loam, 
adding bone meal, soot, and charcoal. The fruiting Pines are placed at 
the warmest end of the house, and the suckers at the other end. In the 
winter we avoid high temperature by day, not exceeding 70°. Great 
care is taken in the supply of water, and I find they are better dry than 
wet. Diluted cow manure and soot are supplied, but we do not use the 
evaporating trough for moisture, and only lightly syringe the Pines 
twice a day in the summer. We distribute plenty of water about the 
house in hot weather. The Queen and Smooth Cayenne I find the most 
useful varieties. Care is taken to prevent white scale attacking the 
Pines. Each side of the house over the pipes is employed for growing 
small plants, and we find the house a useful one. I am sorry to hear it 
said the Pine Apple is not worth growing now foreign fruits are so 
cheap.— William Kipps, Walton Lea , Warrington. 
AN EDIBLE FUNGUS OF NEW ZEALAND. 
Hirneola Polytricha. 
For some years an edible fungus, a product of the New Zealand 
forest, has become an important article of commerce between that 
colony and China. The fungus belongs to the same genus as the European 
Jew’s Ear (Hirneola auricula-judm), a tough but gelatinous fungus, 
formerly in reputation as an ingredient in gargles. The New Zealand 
fungus now under notice (Hirneola polytricha) is well described by 
W. Colenso, Esq., F.R.S., in the Transactions of the Penzance Natural 
History and Antiquarian Society, 1884-85 :— 
“ Hirneola polytricha was first made known to science by Montagne 
as belonging to this genus, and a3 being an inhabitant of the East Indies 
and Java, though, like our two other species, it was first published as 
belonging to the closely allied genus Exidia, there being but a very small 
natural difference between these two genera. This species is thus 
briefly described by Berkeley (translated and abridged from Montagne) : 
‘ Sub - hemispherical, cup-shaped, expanded, lobed, densely villous 
externally with grey hairs, disk purplish-brown.’ 
“ It is of various sizes and. I might almost add, of shapes ; some 
measuring a few inches, and when wet filling a large teacup or small 
basin ; a large specimen weighing only 2^ drams. It is found growing 
on the trunks of many trees, both on living and on rotten ones (especially 
on the latter while standing), particularly on Corynocarpus laevigata 
and on Melicytus ramiflorus, both of these trees being endemic as to 
genus as well as to species; the former tree is mostly confined to the 
seashore, where it often forms dense and continuous thickets. In such 
situations it is generally of small size, but when standing apart it is of 
much larger dimensions, and not unfrequently in suitable spots it wears 
an imposing appearance from its large green and glossy persistent Laurel¬ 
like leaves. The latter tree is scattered plentifully throughout the 
country, and the foliage of both being evergreen, are eagerly browsed on 
by cattle. 
“ The only market for this fungus is China. From official informa¬ 
tion obtained from Hong Kong, we find that it is largely used by the 
Chinese in soups with farinaceous seeds, and also as a medicine, being 
highly esteemed. The Chinese have long been in the habit of using 
another species of this same genus that is indigenous in North China, 
and also of importing another species from other isles in the Pacific ; so 
that the use of this kind of fungus as an article of food is not new with 
them. Who can say in this article of food Western pride may not again 
have to learn something more from this ancient, highly civilised, and 
much-injured people? 
“ At first, and for some time, our New Zealand fungus was only 
exported in small quantities. The demand, however, rapidly increasing, 
and the article plentiful and obtained at little cost, save the easy and 
untaught labour of gathering and drying it, its export rapidly increased. 
The drying of it, if collected damp, was an easy matter — merely 
spreading in the air and sun till dry, which soon takes place, when it is 
roughly packed in sacks, and if kept dry keeps good and sound for a very 
long time. The price paid to the collectors for it was originally small, 
only Id. a pound ; at this figure it remained for some time. It is now 
nominally 2Jd. in some places, which sum, however, is often paid in 
barter.* It is said to be sold in the China shops at about lOd. or more 
retail. I am not aware of the actual price obtained by the exporter, 
but we find that its declared value at the Customs has ranged 
from £33 to nearly £53 per ton, which no doubt is much under the real 
value. 
“ During the last twelve years no less than 1858 tons of this fungus 
have been exported, valued at £79,752, as is more particularly shown in 
the following return, which I have compiled from sources published in 
the Government statistical papers :— 
Years. 
Quantity. 
Tons. cwt. 
Declared Value, 
1872 
58 0 
• • • 
£1,927 
1873 
95 0 
1,195 
1874 
118 0 
6,226 
1875 
112 0 
5,744 
1876 
132 0 
6,224 
1877 
220 0 
11,318 
1878 
103 0 
5,178 
1879 
59 5 
2,744 
1880 
183 12 
6,123 
1881 
187 11 
8,122 
1882 
339 17 
15,581 
1883 
250 6 
9,300 
1858 11 
£79,752 
« I should observe that the official entries show that those exports 
are confined to the northern island, and only from two ports there—viz., 
Auckland and Wellington, except some small lots amounting to seven 
tons, exported from Poverty Bay and Napier in the last two years, 1882 
and 1883. The fungus, however, may have been extensively collected 
in the districts containing those two larger ports.” 
In order to test the value of the New Zealand fungus as an article 
of food a supply of it was recently obtained for Kew by Mr. Thomas 
Kirk, Chief Conservator of State Forests, Wellington, New Zealand. 
A portion of this supply was submitted for analysis to Professor 
Church, F.R.S., who has been good enough to furnish the following 
interesting note :— 
Hirneola polytricha .—A sample of this fungus, in the air-dried con¬ 
dition as received, was prepared for analysis by careful brushing and the 
removal of a few fragments of obviously foreign substances. It gave 
the following per-centages :— 
Water .170 
Albuminoids (calculated from total nitrogen) ... _6'8 
Carbohydrates, digestible 
Carbohydrates, indigestible 
Fat (ether extract) 
Ash. 
A few remarks as to these figures will prove useful in appreciating 
1-9 
1-5 
23 
» I should, however, mention that in the spring of 1883 a large party of Maoris residing 
on the West Coast, near Mount Egmont, who had for some time been collecting and 
storing fungus there, sold the lot to an Auckland agent and general dealer, but took the 
whole total sum, upwards of £425, in hard cash. 
