6 
by checking with the description limiting 
the family.. The true myrtle referred to is 
not to be confused with the periwinkle, a 
creeping yine sometimes wrongly called 
“myrtle,” but really a dogbane. | 
The claim is made that Eucalyptus 
amygdalina is the tallest tree in the world. 
Eucalyptus giganteus is apparently not to 
be sneezed at. It is reported to attain 400 
feet in height and 100 feet in girth. (Ket- 
chum, Bot. for Academies and Colleges, p. 
100, as to E. giganteus.) The pomegran- 
ate, formerly placed in the myrtle family, is 
now classed with the crepe myrtle in the 
Loesestrife family. Other plants of this 
family are the rose apple, the guavas, the 
bottle brushes, and the Brazil nut tree (Ber- 
tholletia excelsa). What we know as the 
Brazil nut is the seed, of which 18 to 24 
are inclosed in a round shell opening by a 
pore at the top; the shell is half an inch 
thick and so hard than an axe is required to 
break it. : 
An amazing range is found in the limi- 
tations of families from the Hornworts, 
comprising one genus of only one species, 
to the Daisy or Sunflower family embrac- 
ing, approximately, 766 genera and 9,800 
species. So large a group of plants admits 
of wide variation in appearance, and it is 
hardly to be expected that the common and 
detested cocklebur should be recognised as 
allied to the daisies and sunflowers. In- 
‘deed, some recent authors have cut this 
genus—Xanthium—and near genera out 
of that order, making the Ragweed family. 
Any one who has come in extensive con- 
tact with the tall nettle (Urticus holoseri- 
ceus), often so abundant about streams and 
wet places, will freely admit that the 
family is much too well represented. But 
the delicious fig and the elm, mulberry, 
hop, &e., are all of the Nettle family, as 
also the little known Celtis, nettle tree, 
hackberry, or sugar berry. By-the-way, 
if you think you have never seen the fig- 
tree in blossom, the explanation lies in 
the fact that the fig is outside in. The 
flowers are inside the fruit, but they are 
only technically flowers, not much to look 
at, but. good to eat. The handsome rub- 
ber tree is a fig tree, and the young figs 
are not difficult to find, but they do not 
seem to mature. 
Perhaps it is not generally known that 
the so-called pepper tree is akin to the 
peison oak (Rhus diversiloba), both of the 
Sumac family. The resemblance is easily 
sce upon examination of the flowers, nor 
ig it difficult to trace a likeness in the 
fruit, if the strucure is considered rather 
than the color. The leaves of the pepper 
tree contain an abundance of a highly 
volatile oil, and it is said that if a fresh 
leaflet is cut into tiny pieces and dropped 
into a tumblerful of hot water, the pieces 
will be propelled in sudden, jerky jumps, 
and when the tumbler was brimful a piece 
has been known-to even jump out of the 
glass. I have never seen an explanation 
of the faculty this tree seems. to possess 
of keeping its leaves fresh and green in the 
dustiest places. Perhaps the volatising of 
the oil prevents the dust from settling on 
it. The juice of some species of Rhus is 
THE AUSTRALIAN“GARDENER. 
said to make excellent indelible marking 
ink, and it seems not unlikely that the 
common laurel-leaved sumac would answer 
well to experiments in that direction. The 
flowers of the commonest sumac are used to 
dye carpet rags, &c. It will be remem- 
bered that the smoke tree or Venetian 
sumac is Rhus cotinus, while R. aromatica 
yields the antispasmodic of that name. 
We have here a closely related species of 
R. trilobata with which the Indians made 
some of their finest baskets. Some of the 
foreign members of the Sumac family yield 
the celebrated lacquer varnish of Japan, 
the mango, the delicately flavored pistachio 
nut, and the cashew nut, which is borne at 
the apex of a pear-like disc or torus. The 
torus is edible, and so is the kernel of the 
nut-like fruit, but the coats covering: the 
kernel contain a poison so caustic that it 
blisters the skin. 
That wheat, fcorn, oats, barley, rice, &c., 
are grasses as much as the blue grass of the 
lawn is a matter of general information 
perhaps too common to mention, but it 
may occasion some surprise to find the bam- 
boos close to blue grass, and closer to fes- 
cus grass. Bambusa guada attains a 
height of sixty to a hundred feet and the 
spaces between the joints are filled with 
pure cool water. A few clumps of this 
grass would make a pretty good water sys- 
tem for a small family. 
THE PANSY AND ITS CULTIVATION 
ON THE PLAINS. 
By J. Breaas. 
It is said most people are mad on a cer- 
tain subject—as a rule it is money. Now, 
with me, next to getting the money, I ama 
little bit gone on the Pansy, and, as ore 
Pansy grower wrote, it was his first love in 
flowers, so it is mine.. It is very seldom 
that I meet a person who does not like the 
Pansy, and I think there must be some 
affinity between it and children, who will go 
over. your flower-beds, passing more rare 
plants, to pull up the Pansy. It is very 
interesting to see the plants in full bloom, 
the flowers facing you, which puts one in 
mind of little dogs and cats sitting on their 
haunches learning their lessons, Pansies 
are so easy to grow from seed that any per- 
son with a small plot of ground can have 
‘abundance of flowers for several months in 
the year. The most that is required is to 
give them plenty of water during dry 
weather, and a good mulch of manure, 
keeping the dead flowers picked off, and, as 
they begin- to get shabby, cut back, when 
another flowering will result. Although I 
make it appear such an easy matter to grow 
Pansies—and I admit any schoolboy can 
- grow his Pansy plant, getting satisfaction 
out of it too—yet there is a wide difference 
in growing simply as a flower and the culti- 
vation fit for exhibition. ‘Therefore, this 
paper is more for those who, tike the writer, 
take an interest in the exhibition table. 
Coming then to the 
POSITION. 
This should be in an open aspect, clear of 
trees, and for early flowering ground 
sloping north is best; for later flowering, 
October 1, 1904 
ground facing south, with a breakwind ‘te 
the north, will do..-But I find ‘the Pansy 
comes‘on earlier north of Adelaide, as the 
subsoil is composed of limestone, inducing 
good drainage, which makes the ground 
warmer. 
. MAKING THE BEDs. 
‘These should be about 8 feet wide, with 
alleys 18.inches between. January is the: 
most suitable time for making them. 
SOIL. 
Suppose there is not good soil to start 
with, then take eut to the depth of 18 
inches (not less than 15), loosen up the 
bottom, after which put in some ordinary 
rough loam and manure to the depth of & 
inches filling the remaining foot with virgir 
suil if it can be had, inclined to be a little 
stiff, mixed with a third cow and horse 
manure, equal parts, and to be well rotted, 
the whole to be turned over several times 
before planting, without mixing the bottom 
6 inches. 
PROPAGATION. 
There are two ways of doing this—one 
by sowing seed, the other by cuttings. The 
first should be putin about the middle of 
February, making fortnightly sowings up 
to the end of March, or even later. These 
sowings are sometimes the best, especially 
if there has been a long and dry summer. 
Shallow boxes 5 inches deop are suitable, 
and for general seed-sowing I find gal- 
vanised iron cases answer well raised 1% 
inches off the ground. Drain by putting a 
piece of bag in bottom of box, whick 
should have holes bored init. Till in with 
sandy loam up to 14 inches of top; over 
this make the soil much lighter. The 
whole, when pressed down and watered, te 
be a quarter of an inch below top of box. 
Sow seeds half an inch or more apart; if 
_they are sown too thickly they will most 
likely damp. Oover over to the depth of an 
eighth of an inch, moisten, then put in 
shady place; cover with glass slightly 
darkened, and in from 10 to 14 days the 
plantlets will appear, when gradually re- 
move the glass. Do not keep them too wet. 
In about five weeks the plants will be ready 
to handle, when they may be pricked off 3 
to 4 inches apart into shallow cases, using 
soil much heavier than for seeds, and keep 
them from strong sunshine. For cuttings. 
young offshoots are most suitable when 
they are about 2 to 3 inches long, with the 
heel ‘attached, which does nut require 
trimming, putting them into very sandy 
soil; pressing about bottom of cuttine 
firmly. Keep in shady place. If the plants 
are allowed to flower ;much before takin; 
cuttings their constitution is weakened. The 
best time to strike cuttings is from Marcil: 
till. November, and to preserve a.! plants 
struck up to this time during the hot 
months shading is necessary on hut days, 
with a mulch of manure also. Do not let 
them want for water, or flower if cuttings 
are wanted in March. 
PLANTING OU. mee 
Asa rule I do the first planting from the 
25th of April to the 5th of May. The rows 
should be 9 inches apart, and the plants # 
inches in the row. After planting give « 
good watering, and keep free from weeds. 
This can be done by constantly moving the 
soil in dry weather, which I consider is one of 
the most important parts in the cultivatiom 
