June 28 , 1888 . ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
539 
another help for the poorer classes, who extract the starch by the same 
process as used for the Manihot, eating the pulp the same as Casabe. 
Latel}', it has been stated that the leaves and buds of this plant 
when eaten by cattle produce a kind of paralysis of the extremities. 1 
do not know to what extent this is truth, but I know positively that the 
rhizome is as poisonous as that of the “ bitter cassava,” and that the 
acrid principle is got rid of by repeatedly washing the pulp. 
The Cocoa-nut Tree (Cocos nucifera) is met with all over the island, 
but it is more abundant on the marine zone, or litoral, where the fruit is 
collected and shipped. The oil is extracted, and it is of some economical 
importance. In moist places semi-aquatic plants will be seen growidg, 
as the Echinodorus cordifolius, Nymphma crenata, and other pretty 
ones. Besides the white native Bose, the common Kose, both red and 
white, has been long introduced, with many more exotic flowering 
plants now abundantly cultivated in gardens. Besides these almost all 
the garden plants of colder climates grow or arc cultivated wherever 
there is a plentiful supply of water. Several new species of handsome 
Ferns are found on the highest ridges, as between Maunabo and Jabucoa 
on the Sierra of la Bandura, among granitic rock, forming a vegetation 
peculiar to these regions .—(^Pharmaceutical Journal.') 
ERICA SPECIOSA. 
A PAKTICULAELY handsome summer-flowering Heath is Erica 
speciosa when seen at its best, but unfortunately this is too seldom now. 
as, with many other beautiful members of the same genus, it has gone 
out of favour because it requires rather more attention than a Zonal 
Pelargonium. The plant is of bold distinct habit, the leaves deep 
green, slightly hairy, and arranged closely on the branches in threes. 
The flowers (fig. 76) are generally produced three or four together from 
the little branchlets, the tubular corollas often exceeding an inch in 
length, rich red in colour except a tinge of bright green at the tips. It 
requires similar treatment to other hardwooded Heaths, a little extra 
care in the supply of water being advisable. 
GREVILLEA ROBUSTA IN CEYLON. 
Familiae as this pl.ant is in British gardens, it is rarely seen in 
flower, but it appe.ars from the following note in “ The Tropical Agri¬ 
culturist ” to be particularly happy in Ceylon :— 
“ We have said that this tree is ‘ distinguished by its large masses of 
comb-shaped, orange coloured flowers,’ and these words are necess.ary to 
a proper description of the very striking Grevillea fiower.s, forming such 
a contrast of vivid colour to the wealth of green, graceful. Fern-like 
foliage with which the tree is clothed. Grevillea robusta is one of the 
most ornamental as well as one of the most useful sylvan gifts which 
Australia has bestowed on Ceylon. Here the tree does not compete 
with the Blue Gum in rapidity of upward growth, but in thickness of 
stem in an equal number of years it excels most of the Eucalypti- 
Many of the latter which have thick stems within a few feet of the' 
ground have a habit of tapering away almost to a point as they get up 
higher and higher, some of them attaining 100 feet, or even 150 in ten 
yctirs. In its own native habitat (New South Wales and Queensland), 
the Grevillea tree (the ‘ Silky Oak ’ of the settlers), attains on rich 
alluvial banks of rivers a height of 100 feet. Specimens fourteen years- 
old in Ceylon are about 60 feet in height, judging by the eye, but care¬ 
ful measurements may correct this estimate. Of course the trees in the 
loose, accumulated soil on the sides of the Lome lload, to which we 
alluded as having become fine trees in seven years, are in very favour¬ 
able circumstances for rapid growth. But like most other trees they 
ought to be planted in groves and pretty close together to secure per¬ 
fectly straight trees. A good many of the trees in the single row along: 
the Lome Road have indulged in some curious bends and contortions- 
under the influence of winds and loose soil. But we suppose that even, 
crooked timber is useful for ‘ knees,’ wheel tires, and so forth. We m.ay 
repeat that in Australia the timber of Grevillea robusta is the favourite 
for staves of tallow casks. It might, therefore, be useful in Ceylon 
for oilcasks. The genus to which this tree of equally beautiful foliage 
and inflorescence belongs, is described as ‘very large, comprising some 
beautiful and interesting Australian flowering shrubs and trees. Nearly 
200 species have been described, all, with one or two exceptions, indi¬ 
genous to Australia, and two-thirds of that number belong to Victoria. 
They are chiefly admired and cultivated for their flowers ; some of 
them are of a dwarf, Heath-like habit; others are trees of considerable- 
size.’ Amongst the Eucalypti which have made the best growth at 
Hakgala, and on poor soil, is E. marginata, the gr.and jarrah, whicE 
gives the finest timber of all the species, vieing with oak in quality and 
with mahogany in beauty of colour and polish. This noble and useful) 
tree seems to take more kindly to the Ceylon hill regions than most of 
the Eucalypti. The Red Gum (E. rostrata), with its clean stems and 
elegant drooping foliage is very beautiful, but it seems difficult to grow, 
and has an unfortunate habit of dividing into two or more stems. The 
most ready grower is the Blue Gum (E. globulus), and the more we learn 
about the timber of this tree, the more favourable is our impression, if 
only the timber is well seasoned. D.arkened with oil the wood resembles- 
fine sapu.” 
PRACTICE AND SCIENCE. 
A EECOGNISED authority on Rose culture writing about feeding 
Roses, affords the following text:—“ Liquid or any other manure is only 
of use when the plant is in full growth and health ; at all other times- 
it is poison.” This text is good for a long and profitable discourse, bull 
it need only serve here as an introduction. Are we in our artificial 
modes of plant culture, propagating, sowing, manuring, &c., sufficiently 
scientific or not ? This is not begging a question, because all practicaS 
culture is more or less scientific. Taking the subject of manuring, can 
we say that the customary methods are the only correct ones, or even 
the most correct ? One can sympathise with the worried gardener in 
his everyday vocation, for as he looks around his stocked houses and 
borders the feeling that “ he knows enough ” is sure to arise. But is 
there another side to the question ? There is an old saying that “ one- 
side of a story holds good till the other is told.” That saying opens 
out the side of a contention which may be said to be antagonistic to 
the experience of generations. Who is so likely to guide us and decide- 
for us in our attempts to vie with Nature as Nature herself '? These are- 
Nature's m-thods and agents of plant culture in a manurial sense: 
Supplying carbonic acid gas for absorption by the leaves, with oxygen, 
hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen for absorption by the roots ; providing 
earths, silicates, and other mineral substances, such as sulphur, iron and 
alkaline salts, from which the various compound elements in the elabo¬ 
rated plant are derived ; the unceasing round of growth, fructification^ 
decay, and decomposition ever going on in the vegetable world, serving 
to balance the work. Does it ever strike observers how exactly 
true the provisions in the latter respect are? The air we breathe 
W'ould shortly become unbreathable were it not for tho plants, trees, 
gi-asses, and flowers. The supply of the food we eat would soon be 
at an end if its restoration to earth was not provided for, there 
to renew its existence, or stimulate that of other and succeeding races. 
Nature sows seeds by an unfailing and unerring plan. She covers them 
with the sweetest top-dressings, or deposits them gently in the shaded 
and moist places most suitable for their reception. 
On the other hand. Nature docs not teach us to foul the soil, to cleg 
it, to stint or limit the free passage of air and of water. Nowhere, ex¬ 
cept by accident, are decomposing animal and vegetable matters brought 
into immediate contact w'ith the roots of plants. Our artificial inethods- 
of culture, in so far as they relate to the best mediums for root action 
and root r.amification, are considerably at fault if the foregoing reiison- 
ing is accurate. Perhaps in no particular lines are they more so than 
in°those of sweetness and porosity of the soil. We compound potting 
and rooting m.aterials that serve to generate or develope fungoid growths,. 
]).ar.asitical organisms, and si agnation of root action. Will any of the- 
readers of this paper ask themselves if they can recall what has been 
the result on the first succeeding crop, when they have been led to 
apidy a heavy dressing of freshly slaked lime to a plot of manure- 
