August 22, 1889. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
1G1 
becomes one mass of roots. The roots cling tenaciously to pieces 
of broken pots, which may be incorporated with the peat instead of 
charcoal. 
ONCIDIUM ORNITHORHYNCHUM. 
There are two varieties of this charming Oncidium, one having 
larger and darker flowers than the other. Both forms are worth 
growing, but that with the darker flowers is decidedly the better. 
Where the plant is grown in the Cattleya house the flower spikes 
are either visible or will be soon. If grown in a pot or pan slugs 
must be looked after, for they appear particularly fond of the small 
tender spikes. It certainly does well in a pot or pan, but displays 
its arching spikes of small fragrant flowers to much greater ad¬ 
vantage when grown in a basket. Frequently the foliage presents 
a light green, almost a sickly yellow appearance, but this is not 
natural. When well grown with sweet suitable compost about its 
roots the foliage will be luxuriant and moderately dark in appear¬ 
ance. Those in pots with us are certainly the most healthy in 
appearance, the pots being more than half filled with crocks, the 
plants moderately elevated above the rim and potted firmly in 
fibrous peat and good sized lumps of charcoal, a little moss only 
being placed on the surface. The difference in the condition of 
the plants is, we believe, mainly due to the watering. In baskets 
they cannot be watered with the same care as when grown in pots. 
They are liable to have too much by dipping and a free use of the 
syringe.— Orchid Grower. 
REVIEW OF BOOK. 
The Us-ful Plants of Australia (including Tasmania ). By J. H. 
Maiden, F.L.S., Curator of the Museum. London : Triibner and 
Co., Ludgate Hill ; Sydney : Turner & Henderson. 1889. 
The work is issued by the order of the Committee of Management of 
the Technological Museum of New South Wales, at Sydney, an institu¬ 
tion which contains over 25,000 specimens, and is “ intended to occupy a 
similar position, and fulfil the same purpose ” as the leading London 
Museums. The author, as Curator of such a collection, was well qualified 
to undertake so important and comprehensive a subject as the one 
treated in the book under notice, and he has performed his task in a 
thoroughly satisfactory manner, for it will constitute a valuable work 
■of reference for colonists and others concerned with the commerce of 
the country. In 696 pages an astonishing number of plants and pro¬ 
ducts are described or mentioned, and the system adopted is as follows : 
—There are eleven sections devoted to human foods, forage plants, 
drugs, gums and resins, oils, perfumes, dyes, tans, timbers, fibres, and 
miscellaneous, by far the greater portion of the book (nearly 300 pages) 
joeing occupied with a consideration of the timbers, a subject which,° by 
its importance, had ample claims to this prominence. The other sub¬ 
jects necessarily require much less space, but are exhaustively treated. 
The names of the plants yielding the various products are given, with 
their principal synonyms, authorities, natural orders, and references to 
works containing descriptions ; then follow the native names, and 
particulars of the special products. The names are arranged alpha¬ 
betically in each section, which is more convenient for reference ; but a 
very full index of vernacular and botanical names also increases the 
value of the work greatly. 
In the section devoted to pods it is curious to note how few plants of 
any general importance are enumerated, but the references to two are 
worth reproduction, a3 showing the character of the book. 
PORTULACA OLERACEA. 
“ The seeds of this plant are largely used for food by the natives of the 
interior. One would suppose that so small a seed would scarcely repay the 
labour of collecting, but the natives obtain large quantities by pulling up 
the plants, throwing them in heaps, which after a few days they turn over, 
and an abundant supply of seed is found to have fallen out, and can be 
easily gathered up ; the food prepared from this seed must be highly 
nutritious, for during the season that it lasts the natives get in splendid 
condition on it. The seeds are jet black, and look like very fine <mn- 
powder. The natives grind them in the usual mill— i.e., a large”flat 
stone or bed stone on which the seed is put, and a smaller one to be held 
in the hand for grinding, and of the flour they make a coarse paste. 
•“We had almost daily occasion to praise the value of the Purslane, 
which not only occurred in every part of the country explored, but also 
principally in the neighbourhood of rivers, often in the greatest abund¬ 
ance. We found it in sandy and grassy localities so agreeably acidulous 
as to use it for food without any preparation, and I have reason to 
attribute the continuance of our health partly to the constant use of 
this valuable plant. The absence of other antiscorbutic herbs in the 
north, and the facility with which it may be gathered, entitle it to 
particular notice.’— Baron Mueller's Botanical Report of the North 
Australian Expedition (quoted by Dr. Woolls).” 
TYPHA ANGUSTIFOLTA. 
“ The young shoots are edible, and resemble Asparagus. The root is 
excellent. The pollen is used as food by the natives of Scinde, India, 
being made into cakes.—(Dymock). It is used for the same purpose in 
New Zealand. 
“In a paper by Gerard Krefft (Proe. Philos. Soc. N.S. W. 1862-5) 
1 On the Lower Murray Aboriginals,’ the following description is given by 
him of the method of preparing these roots for food. He gives the 
species name as T. Shuttlemorthii, but this has been merged in the 
present species :—‘ At a certain period, I believe January and February, 
the women enter the swamps, take up the roots of these Reeds, and carry 
them in large bundles to their camp. The roots thus collected are 12 to 
18 inches in length, and they contain, besides a small quantity of 
saccharine matter, a considerable quantity of fibre. The roots are 
roasted in a hollow made in the ground, and either consumed hot or 
taken as a sort of provision upon hunting expeditions ; they are at best 
a miserable apology for flour, and I almost believe it was on account of 
the tough fibre thus obtained that these roots were made an article of 
food.” 
“ This plant is also termed the ‘ Asparagus of the Cossacks,’ the 
Cossacks of the Don being very fond of it. They prepare it like 
Asparagus, and cut it, like the latter, when the young shoots are push¬ 
ing ; the tender blanched part is boiled in water seasoned with salt, and 
served up in the same way as Asparagus. The various culinary prepara¬ 
tions to which Asparagus is subjected are suitable for Typha latifolia. 
In collecting it they peel off the cuticle, and select the blanched tender 
part, usually about 18 inches in length, near the root, and this consti¬ 
tutes a dish, cool, agreeable, and wholesome.” 
Amongst the forage plants the Grasses naturally predominate, forty- 
three pages being occupied in their enumeration. 
HORTICULTURAL SHOWS. 
TAUNTON DEANE. 
The hopes of the managers of this excellent Show must have been 
at a very low ebb on the day previous. A driving rain, high wind, and 
cloudy sky seemed bad precursors of a flower show. However, their 
hopes rose again when Thursday ushered in a fair though threatening 
day. This, however, passed off, and it may be judged to what extent 
the Show is patronised by the fact that 3000 paid for admission in the 
afternoon, and 8000 in the evening, to see what is always an adjunct of 
the Taunton Show, a grand exhibition of fireworks by Mr. Pain. It was 
the twenty-second Show of the Society. My own acquaintance with it 
dates back some fourteen years, during which I have, of course, seen 
many changes in its staff and amongst its exhibitors, but I see no signs 
of decay, and taking its last exhibition as a whole, I can safely say 
that I have never seen a better, and rarely so good a one. One feature 
was for the first time absent, the beautiful bank of Gladioli set up by 
Mr. Kelway, and this was to me a great blank, for it is a pleasure to 
see such a stand as he always exhibits. Another exhibitor, too, was 
not seen there—Mr. Dobree of Wellington—who in years past used to 
exhibit Gladioli so well; but most other exhibits were well represented, 
and some I have never seen in finer condition. 
The Show is held in four tents, two of very large dimensions, in the 
first of which are placed the plants and cut flowers exhibited in the 
nurserymen’s and open classes ; in the second the plants and flowers 
contributed by amateurs ; and in the third the fruit and vegetables, the 
latter being always a strong feature in the Taunton Show. Besides the 
plants and flowers entered for competition, a beautiful bank of plants 
and flowers was shown by Mr. Veitch of Exeter, in which were many 
novelties. 
It may give some idea of the extent of the Exhibition when I say 
that the stands for cut flowers were many of them placed on the ground 
for the Judges to examine, as the stages were completely filled. On 
entering the large tent the grand flowering and foliage plants of 
Mr. Cypher of Cheltenham, Mr. Cleave, and Mrs. Pearce at once 
attracted attention. Then along one side was a blaze of bloom supplied 
by Pelargoniums, which are always so well done at Taunton ; Begonias, 
which were far superior to anything I have seen here before ; while on 
the other side were arranged the cut flowers, consisting of Roses, 
Gladioli, Asters, Verbenas, Hollyhocks, Carnations, &c., while the 
remaining portion of the central stage was filled up by Fuchsias, Lilies, 
Ferns, and other plants. 
One could almost name beforehand what plants are likely to be 
found amongst the large collections, but I do not think that I have ever 
seen Mr. Cypher exhibiting in better form than on this occasion. His 
plants, which obtained the first prize, were Clerodendron Balfourianum, 
Allamanda grandiflora, Bougainvillea glabra, Erica Irbyana, Erica 
tricolor ornata, Stephanotis floribunda, Statice profusa, Erica Aus- 
tiniana, Erica Barnesi, Ixora Pilgrimi, and Allamanda nobilis. In Mr. 
Cleave’s second prize lot were good plants of Stephanotis floribunda, 
Cleondendron Balfourianum and Allamanda nobil is. The groups of f oliaged 
plants contributed by the same exhibitors were very fine, each holding 
the same place as in the stove and greenhouse plants. There was a nice 
collection of six stove and greenhouse plants contributed by Mr. Cypher 
and Mrs. Pearce. I did not notice anything particularly new in the 
Pelargoniums, in fact the appearance of the plants indicated that they 
were not youngsters, so that novelties were not likely to be seen amongst 
them. 
I have rarely seen Roses in August so well exhibited as in this 
division of the Show. The stands of Mr. Mallock of Oxford contain¬ 
ing some remarkably fine blooms for the season of the year. Amongst 
them were Captain Christy, Duchess of Bedford, Madame Gabriel 
Luizet, Grand Mogul, Annie Wood, E. Y. Teas, Comtesse de Nadaillac, 
Harrison Weir, Francisca Kruger, Xavier Olibo, Souvenir d’un Ami, 
Charles Darwin, Hon. Edith Gifford, Senateur Vaisse, Charles Lefebvre, 
