288 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JourNaL. [1 Aprin, 1899. 
desert? But this is something like M. de Rougemont’s providential escape 
by means of the bottle-tree of Northern Queensland as related to a wondering 
British public. The sheathing bases of the leaves do certainly contain water— 
rain water, which flows into them and is retained. But then the Traveller’s 
Tree is always found within easy reach of water, so that there is really no 
great necessity ever to draw upon its stores. A few minutes prior to writing 
this article, the writer extracted a pint of drinkable water from a small 
specimen by making an incision in the base of the leaf-stalk. As an orna- 
mental tree it is unique, and a good specimen never fails to elicit surprise. It 
is easily grown, though slow to attain large dimensions. It has been raised 
from seeds here several times, and it is quite easy of cultivation. It can also 
be propagated by taking off the side shoots; but this is not so easy a job as 
it looks, as they usually spring from deep down. 
You will note on the slope of the hill, directly in front, two tall flower- 
spikes of Furerea gigantea (or Mauritius Hemp). This has been already 
figured and described in the Jowrnal ; but as it is only occasionally seen in 
flower, it may be mentioned here. It is difficult to believe that this is a mere 
flower-spike. Standing between 35 and 40 feet in height, 6 to Sinches through 
at the base, branching elegantly to the summit, and covered with white flowers, 
it is a bouquet for a giant. . 
In the economy of the vegetable world, the chief point aimed at in the 
growth of a plant seems to be the perpetuation of the species ; and we have 
seen from time to time that the means used for obtaining this end are often 
complicated and remarkable to a degree. There are many plants which though 
provided with flowers having apparently all the parts usually found in other 
flowers, yet seldom produce fruits; and have to resort to some other means 
to effect the propagation of their respective kinds. Of such is our tall friend, 
the Furcrea. The flowers drop off, but the stem becomes clothed to its summit 
and to the ends of its smallest branches with bulbils—wrcrea plants in 
miniature—having their leaves laid one over the other in the way you notice 
when you cut an onion down the centre. These bulbils remain on the stem 
for quite a long time, sometimes sending forth leaves of 5 or 6 inches in length. 
At last they become so weighty that they break down the stem and are scattered 
about the ground, where each one takes root and becomes an independent 
plant. The parent plant dies or becomes a stunted bushy thing, like one on 
the upper side of the bed where these are. A species of European lily (Liliwm 
bulbiferum) follows this course also in the propagation of its species, and it 
has been clearly demonstrated by Kerner and others that when, for any reason, 
the insects necessary to the fertilisation of a particular flower become extinct 
in the districts in which the plant is found, the plant often takes to producing 
bulbils as a means of averting extinction, whilst the same species, if placed 
under conditions where ripe fruits and perfect seeds are formed, produces no 
bulbils. 
The foreground of the picture is a triangular piece of ground which, some 
few years ago, was very swampy and sour, and difficult to get trees to grow in ; 
indeed, there were no specimens of any size, or likely to become of any size, in 
it, except at the right-hand further corner, which is elevated. Drains were run 
through it, and these were packed with dead bamboos, which were removed 
from the clumps close at hand. Drainpipes would, of course, have been the 
proper thing, but they would have cost money, which was not available, When 
as many bamboos as could possibly be pressed into the trenches within 10 or 
12 inches of the surface had been got in, the sods, which had been taken off in 
the first instance, were laid over them, grass side downwards, and then the 
earth was firmly trampled in. ‘These made excellent drains, which have been 
in use for over four years, and, except for an occasional slight subsidence, 
easily rectified, do their work admirably, and have completely altered this piece 
of ground, so that now young palms planted out there are flourishing, and will 
soon do much to add to the tropical character for which our Gardens are 
celebrated. 
