106 
ORIGINAL COMMUNICATIONS. 
have fallen into the error of confounding the histories of the 
Egyptian and Indian sennas. 
From this memoir, we learn that the plant is not a native 
of Hindustan, but was introduced into the botanic garden 
at Calcutta in the year 1800, by Dr. Carey; it appears at 
that time not to have thriven, and was lost. About eight 
years from the date of the memoir, (September, 1834,) Dr. 
Wallich succeeded in raising a number of plants from seeds 
found in pods among a batch of senna which had recently 
arrived from Arabia. He gives the following account of his 
success: " Some difficulties were experienced at the com- 
mencement in preserving the plants and making them pro- 
duce good seeds, but they were gradually surmounted, and 
we have, at this time, August, 1834, several plots of land in 
cultivation with the species; the greatest proportion of the 
plants being in a healthy and vigorous condition, full of 
flowers, and showing successive crops of ripe pods. The 
unusual degree of heat, during the late dry season, sensibly 
affected some of the individuals, by causing a disease in the 
root which killed them during the rains. Still our crop is far 
better than I had any ground for anticipating; a good quantity 
of seed has already been obtained, and a further supply re- 
mains still to be reaped, which will enable us to raise a much 
larger proportion of plants next year. The mode of cultiva- 
tion which has been found to answer best, is to transplant the 
seedlings after they have acquired a height of about six 
inches, at a distance from each other of three feet, in slightly 
raised beds, or patches of open ground, previously well 
cleansed from weeds and enriched by the addition of some 
vegetable mould. We sow the seed in the month of Decem- 
ber; germination commences in almost twelve days, and the 
transplanting takes place in February, after which the plants 
grow luxuriantly, provided they are watered during the 
hottest days of April and May. Upon the whole, it has been 
found that shading of any kind does more harm than good; 
and although a number of the young plants perish in their 
