722 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
July 14, 1894. 
and its wiry stems are furnished with lanceolate 
gray leaves, to which the specific name evidently 
refers. The small golden flowers are produced in 
massive corymbose panicles, completely hiding the 
top of the plant. It is, therefore, highly suitable 
either for the border or the rockwork, and is by no 
means particular as to soil, provided there is depth 
for its roots, and the position is fully exposed to sun¬ 
shine. The plant may be increased by seeds, cuttings, 
and division. 
Delphinium dictyocarpus.— A considerable num¬ 
ber of the Larkspurs or Delphinium are charac¬ 
terised by tall, stately stems, and must be relegated 
to the back line of the border. That under notice, 
as seen in the herbaceous ground at Kew, grows to a 
height of i8 in., and is on that account suitable for 
small gardens where space is valuable. The sepals 
are of an intense sky-blue, with a dark-blue, wrinkled 
spur, hooked downwards at the tip. The small 
petals in the centre are pale brown. The leaves are 
large and five-lobed. The species is a native of 
Siberia. 
Hypericum olympicum. —The species are all 
characterised by having yellow flowers, but they 
differ much in stature, habit, and leafage. H. 
olympicum varies from 8 in. to 12 in. high, and has 
lanceolate-elliptic, glaucous leaves. Altogether it is 
very neat, and makes a most suitable plant for rock- 
work. 
Spiraea astilboides. —The ordinary form of this 
makes a suitable and select subject for the upper 
reaches of the rockwork, where it usually attains a 
height of 18 in. The lower branches of the panicle 
of bloom are again slightly branched at the base and 
form little projecting pyramids. The plant is a choice 
subject for a collection, and may be grown in pots 
for indoor decoration, and is readily amenable to 
forcing. 
Aster sibiricus. —This constitutes a succession to 
the spring flowering, A. alpinus, and possesses almost 
the same dwarf stadure, as it is only 12 in. high. The 
flowers are large with long, lilac rays. Though not 
so choice as A. alpinus, a large patch of it is more 
effective than the small bits of the last named we 
usually meet with. The fact is, that species is being 
too rapidly propagated to allow of its attaining any 
size 
Bupthalmum speciosum. —The stems of this 
plant attain a height of 3 ft. or 4 ft. bearing large, 
heart-shaped leaves. The large flower heads are 
corymbose with long, slender, golden rays and a 
broad disc which is similar in colour. It is a bold 
and effective border plant, which should be planted 
in the back line, unless the border is a very wide 
one. 
Senecio macrophyllus.— The leaves of this 
species, when properly established, attain a large size 
and are ovate and glaucus with a winged petiole. 
As the flowering stems attain a height of 4 ft. to 6 ft., 
the plant is not only telling in appearance, but 
presents a tropical aspect. The flowers are produced 
in a massive, pyramidal panicle, and have clear 
yellovv rays with a golden disc. The plant grows 
slowly and takes sometime to get established ; during 
this period the flowering stems, although fairly 
massive, are dwarf. The glaucus leaves are alto¬ 
gether unusual in the genus. 
Senecio Kaempferi.— When planted in the open 
ground and allowed to establish itself, this soon 
develops into a robust and vigorous mass, sending up 
stems to a height of 4 ft. or more. The dark green, 
glabrous leaves are heart-shaped, and of great size. 
The flowers are golden yellow and form a raceme 
terminating the stout stem. 
Eryrhraea diffusa. —This will always be a 
choice plant, but we are surprised that it does not 
become more common, at least, for planting on the 
more select portions of the rockery where it will be 
seen to advantage. At the same time it should be 
planted where the soil is naturally moist and well 
exposed to light, although not necessarily to direct 
sunshine. The barren stems are diffuse and spread 
on the ground, while the flowering ones are ascending, 
bearing cymes of bright pink flowers. 
Epilobium Dodonaei. —This European species is 
often grown under the name of E. Fleischeri. It 
varies from 6 in. to 12 in. in height, and produces a 
short raceme of pink flowers on the top ; the sepals, 
on the contrary, are red and make themselves con¬ 
spicuous in the flower. The linear, denticulate 
leaves are dark green and give the plant a neat 
appearance. The plant may be propagated by 
cuttings under a hand glass, or by division. 
THE BULL’S HORN 
ACACIA. 
The popular name of this Acacia is derived from 
the large, spiny, bent and hollow stipules, which in 
the native habitat of the plant, are often inhabited 
by ants. Two botanical names are applied to it, to 
wit, A. sphaerocephala and A. cornigera. The 
latter name applies to two species, namely, to A. 
sphaerocephala, a native of Mexico, and to A. 
spadicigera, from Jamaica. The former is said to 
have roundish ovate spikes of flowers ; but a plant 
which has just flowered in the Palm house at Kew 
,has cylindrical, densely packed spikes (about i in. 
to ij in. long) of small yellow flowers. This would 
seem to be A. spadicigera, the Jamaica plant, for the 
other specific name, which means round-headed, 
would hardly apply to the plant at Kew. The 
leaves are bi-pinnate, with very numerous, small, 
closely-arranged leaflets, and are very ornamental 
whether the plant is in flower or not; in fact, the 
plant may live for many years and increase in size 
without producing any flowers at all. The remark¬ 
able-looking and dark-looking curved spines also add 
a feature to the plant, while the story of the ants 
dwelling in them increases the interest in the same. 
The leaflets bear a yellow glandular body on their 
edges, and which serves as food to the ants. The 
latter are said to cut down the leaves for the purpose 
of raising a crop of some fungus which they eat, 
just as a gardener w’ould raise Mushrooms on a 
hot-bed and then eat them. 
-- 
CULTIVATION IN NORTH 
QUEENSLAND. 
As most of your readers will remember the climate 
of North Queensland is tropical, and though the 
whole of the island continent is a British possession, 
it is with great difficulty that the British can 
colonise the northern part owing to the excessive 
heat, which is often above 100° in the shade during 
the hot or summer season. The township of Cairns 
was established about eleven years ago on the sea 
margins of Trinity Bay. The population is about 
3,000, but so shiftable that it may be considerably 
above or below that figure at any given time. 
A few years ago a freehold of 160 acres could be 
bought at 2S. 6d. an acre, but the buyer was bound to 
erect a dwelling place upon it, to fence the land, and 
stop on it for five years, when it becomes their own. 
The buyer must clear the land whether anything is 
to be planted or not, so as to let grass grow for 
horses and cattle. He could sell anything off the 
land except good timber, until the end of five years, 
after which he can dispose of that also. Those who 
buy the land at £2 per acre can sell the timber at 
once, if so disposed. Many acquire the land merely 
to sell it again when it becomes more valuable. At 
present 160 acres might be bought at £1 per acre 
with all improvements upon it. Oxen, two, three 
and four years old, and young horses may be bought 
at £}, each. The English like best to work for 
wages at the making of roads and railways, and at 
lumbering, that is felling and transporting trees. 
They only make improvements upon their own land 
when out of a job ; then they do some fencing and 
clearing. 
Another industry has been growing for some time 
and is likely to increase, namely, the sugar industry. 
About nine miles from Cairns the land is let out in 
allotments of thirty to forty acres each. Those who 
take this land are obliged to plant so many acres of 
canes and pay from £3 to £10 per acre for it to 
become the landlord of the same. Already one 
sugar mill is working, but another central mill is fo 
be built to utilise the canes at so much per ton. 
A coffee plantation has been tried and seems to do 
well. 
Gardens and Orchards. 
Horticulture proper has hardly yet made its presence 
felt. The cultivation of flowers is too serious a 
business to be undertaken for mere amusement, and 
there is practically no market for them. Land may 
be had in plenty, but it is of a sandy nature and 
watering a serious business on account of the labour 
of getting it from wells. Insects are also extremely 
numerous and troublesome in the caterpillar stage. 
They and locusts are voracious and destructive. 
Furthermore, there are no evenings as we have in 
this country. When the sun sinks at six o’clock 
darkness sets in at once, there being no twilight. 
About their dwellings, and in town more especially, 
shade from the fierce sunlight is the principal object. 
In front of each house is a covered way to the street, 
and the wide pavement of the latter is covered over 
to afford the requisite shade. Iron buildings alone 
are able to resist the heat. Wood soon gets twisted 
and cracked. 
The English or British inhabitants (for they are 
very mixed) live on beef, Potatos, Sweet Potatos, 
Wheaten Bread, Pumpkins, which they all like and 
use when boiled, and tea, the latter being rather 
extensively used. These then are the primary 
objects of breeding cattle and in plant cultivation, 
but a large number of tropical fruits are grown and 
eaten. Light food, including Rice, is most suitable 
fcr the maintenance of health. Potatos are brought 
by sea from the south. A few are grown at the foot 
of the downs, inland, but the land is too hot, sandy, 
and low-lying about Cairns for Potatos to succeed. 
The stems either dwindle or grow too rank without 
producing tubers according as the land is dry or 
damp. The latter would be the case near the creeks 
and low-lying banks of rivers and streams. Sweet 
Potatos or Yams (Dioscorea Batatas) on the contrary 
do well close by the sea, and are considered more 
nourishing than Potatos. Pumpkins are favourites 
with most people; ‘ after the seeds have been 
scattered about, they come up and run wild any¬ 
where, producing fruits about six to ten pounds in 
weight. Indian Corn or Maize is grown for the 
horses. 
In the orchards there is no such things as Apples, 
Pears, and Plums, as the heat is too great to admit 
of their successful culture. Neither do fruits of any 
kind fetch a high enough price to tempt the English 
to take up their cultivation in earnest. The trees of 
which they make plantations are Mangoes, Lemons, 
Limes, and Oranges in variety, including the 
Mandarin and the sour one used in cooking. Most 
of them have got a few Cocoanut trees in their 
gardens, and which they grow chiefly for the milky 
juice the fruits contain. Custard Apples do well 
and make good eating. The Papaw runs wild any¬ 
where after some seeds have once been committed to 
the soil; they afterwards sow themselves. On first 
acquaintance with them the fruits act almost like a 
medicine in their laxative tendency, but after a time 
they may be eaten with impunity. The Jack tree is 
also planted to some extent. The Guava has run 
wild and does as well under those conditions as when 
planted. It is not without its enemies however, for 
maggots get into the fruit about the time it gets ripe 
and render it useless. The English often plant a 
collection of fruit trees and then let it to Chinamen 
at £1 per acre. If the heat were not so great, the 
country is so rich in resources that a British popula¬ 
tion could hardly fail to make a comfortable living 
in this tropical country. Emigrants and immigrants 
who settle for the time being are very shiftable, and 
too much given to speculation to settle down quietly 
to the sober business of making a living. When 
children have had time to grow up there they are 
more likely to make steady going colonists than their 
fathers who have been reared under different 
circumstances. 
The Chinaman as a Cultivator. 
Probably it would be too presumptive to style the 
Chinaman a gardener, but at present he is the most 
sober and steady going cultivator in that warm part 
of the world. He can live upon two or three 
shillings a week, subsisting chiefly on rice and fish. 
He seldom buys meat or anything he can help. He 
can therefore afford to undersell the British in all 
marketable commodities which he can raise, and 
will work for low wages, consequently he is very 
much disliked, and would be kicked out of the 
country if the British residents could have their way. 
A premium of something like /loo is charged upon 
everyone who now comes into the country, and at 
best he can only become a tenant, for he is not 
elligible to buy land and become a landlord. He 
buys all the cheapest of wood to build his house, 
and often manages to get it for the trouble of picking 
up. He often patches the sides of his house with 
old iron that has previously been utilised for some 
purpose or other. Frequently he splits up the stems 
of Palm trees and sets them up as close pallisades 
for the sides of his dwelling, and keeps fowls to eke 
out a living by selling the eggs. 
The three principal crops he grows are Rice, 
Indian Corn and Bananas, the first being the most 
