September  8,  1898. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
187 
-  Bamboo  Brooms. — An  addition  to  the  collection  of  Bamboo 
products  exhibited  in  museum  No.  2  of  the  Royal  Gardens  has  recently 
been  made  by  Mr.  J.  H.  Hart,  Superintendent  of  the  Botanic  Garden, 
Trinidad,  who  sends  some  convenient  sized  hand  brooms  made  entirely 
from  the  stems  of  what  is  apparently  Bambusa  vulgaris.  In  the  pre¬ 
paration  of  these  brooms,  says  the  “  Ivew  Bulletin,”  the  outer  portion  of 
the  stem  is  split  down,  then  beaten  into  a  fibrous  state,  turned  back,  and 
tied  down  with  string,  leaving  the  central  and  naked  portion  of  the  stem 
to  form  the  handle.  The  brooms  illustrate  a  very  simple  but  useful 
application  of  Bamboo  stems. 
-  Australian  Apples. — The  shippers  <d  Australian  and 
Tasmanian  Apples  this  season  have  reason  to  be  well  satisfied  with  their 
returns.  The  crop  was  light,  and  local  prices  have  been  higher  than  for 
years  past,  but  nevertheless  about  140,000  bushels  were  sent  to  London, 
the  greater  quantity  being  from  Tasmania.  South  Australia  sent  com¬ 
paratively  few,  but  the  few  have  realised  record  prices,  as  high  as  28s.  for 
40  lbs.  being  received,  or  8.Jd.  a  pound  wholesale.  This  leaves  the  grower 
about  208.,  or  6d.  a  pound  net.  What  the  Apples  could  be  sold  at  I 
cannot;  imagine.  Of  course,  says  a  writer  in  a  contemporary,  only  a  very 
few  cases  were  sold  at  this  price,  and  I  know  the  Apples  were  as  pretty  as 
any  Apples  grown,  and  of  equally  good  quality. 
-  Quorn  Hall. — After  an  absence  of  some  years,  in  re-visiting 
'Quorn  Hall,  Loughborough,  the  residence  of  E.  H.  Warner,  Esq.,  I  was 
pleased  to  see  improvements  and  enlargements  had  been  made  in  the 
gardens.  The  contents  of  the  glass  houses  fully  maintain  their  former 
e<cellence  in  each  department,  evidencing  skilful  cultivation,  the 
houses  being  gay  with  the  usual  assortment  of  plants  in  vigorous  health. 
The  Vines  and  Peaches  and  other  fruits  have  heavy  crops  of  fruit.  My 
object,  however,  in  now  writing  is  to  make  an  inquiry  of  readers  of  the 
Journal — viz.,  Is  Noblesse  Peach  usually  considered  to  be  a  shy  bearer  ? 
I  have  been  under  the  impression  such  was  the  case,  but  here  this 
variety  was  carrying  quite  as  heavy  a  crop  as  any  of  the  other  sorts,  the 
fruits  being  from  10  to  12  inches  in  circumference  and  of  fine  quality. 
The  Peach  range  is  about  120  feet  in  length,  divided  in  the  centre,  each 
division  containing  Royal  George,  Bellegarde,  and  Princess  of  Wales 
Peaches,  with  Elruge,  Pineapple,  and  Violet  Hative  Nectarines.  I 
suppose  Noblesse  may  be  considered  one  of  our  best  fiavourel  Peaches  ? 
Air.  A.  Squires,  the  gardener,  mentioned  that  he  has  never  had  a  failure 
in  these  houses  during  his  twenty  years’  charge. — G. 
-  Florida  Velvet  Bean. — Under  this  name  a  leguminous 
plant  has  been  prominently  recommended  in  American  journals  as  a  forage 
plant  and  as  admirably  adapted  for  green  crop  manuring.  Recently  the 
beans  have  been  offered  tor  sale  in  this  country.  As  fi  equent  references 
have  been  made  to  Ivew,  it  is  desirable  to. place  on  record  what  is  known 
of  the  plant  and  its  capabilities.  As  to  its  identity,  it  was  from  the  first 
conjectured  that  the  seeds  belonged  to  a  plant  very  near  the  common 
purple-flowered  Cowhage  or  Cow-itch  plant  of  the  tropics,  Mucuna  pruriens. 
The  difficulty,  in  the  absence  of  adequate  specimens,  in  identifying  it  with 
this,  was  the  fact  that  in  the  Cow-itch  plant  the  pods  are  densely  covered 
with  stinging  hairs  of  a  brownish  colour.  A  plant  so  formidably  armed, 
it  was  thought,  could  not  safely  be  recommended  for  general  cultivation. 
The  name  first  given,  Dolichos  multiflorus  (Dioclea  Boykini)  was  clearly 
wrong.  In  these  circumstances  we  are  glad  to  find  from  the  “  Queensland 
Agricultural  Journal,”  vol.  ii.,  pp.  370-371  (with  a  plate),  that  the  plant 
has  flowered  and  fruited  in  that  colony,  and  that  Mr.  F.  M.  Bailey,  F.L.S., 
the  Colonial  Botanist,  has  identified  it  as  Mucuna  pruriens  var.  utilis.  In 
this  variety  of  the  Cow-itch  plant  the  pods  are  apparently  devoid  of 
stinging  hairs.  It  is  probably  M.  utilis  of  Wall.,  described  in  the  “Flora 
of  British  India”  (vol.  ii.,  p.  187),  as  “  a  cultivated  variety  ”  with  velvety 
not  hairy  pods.  This  is  figured  in  “  Wight’s  leones  ”  (vol.  i.,  t.  280). 
According  to  Watt’s  “Dictionary  of  the  Economic  Products  of  India,” 
“  the  young  tender  pods  are  cooked  and  eaten  as  a  vegetable.”  What 
may  also  prove  to  be  the  same  plant,  with  jet  black  seeds,  is  cultivated  as 
a  rotation  crop  on  sugar  estates  in  Mauritius,  under  the  name  of  “  Pois 
Mascate.”  The  accounts  given  by  interested  parties  in  America  respecting 
the  agricultural  value  of  the  Florida  Velvet  Bean  must  be  received  with 
caution.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  rapid  grower  and  affords  a  large  yield  of 
nutritious  forage.  It  bears  an  abundant  crop  of  seed,  and  is  therefore 
readily  propagated.  It  may  also,  in  common  with  many  other  leguminous 
plants,  possess  the  power  of  obtaining  its  nitrogen  from  the  atmosphere, 
and  thus  be  admirably  adapted  for  green  crop  manuring  How  far  it  may 
be  found  superior  in  these  respects  to  other  plants  it  is  impossible  to  say. 
As  it  is  now  being  carefully  tested  in  various  parts  of  the  tropics,  it  would 
be  well  to  await  reports  which  will,  no  doubt,  be  shortly  issued  on  the 
subject. — (“  Kew  Bulletin.”) 
-  Judging  Table  Decorations. — Would  the  Editor  of  the 
Journal  of  Horticulture  kindly  give  his  opinion  as  to  whether  gardeners  or 
ladies  are  the  fitter  and  more  qualified  to  act  as  judges  at  a  flower  show 
where  prizes  are  competed  for  in  this  section — for  ordinary  floral  decora¬ 
tion,  and  where  ladies,  as  a  rule,  are  the  competitors  ?  It  is  generally 
thought  that  gardeners  are  more  experienced  in  this  line,  but  everyone 
does  not  hold  this  opinion  ;  therefore  I  should  be  glad  to  have  your 
decision. — IIortus.  [Though  not  a  particularly  nervous  man  the  Editor 
hesitates  to  do  what  is  requested,  because  neither  all  gardeners  nor  all 
ladies  are,  as  such,  equally  endowed  with  a  capacity  for  judging.  In 
competitions  of  a  national  character  the  judging  of  the  classes  indicated 
is  almost  invariably  entrusted  to  gardeners  who  have  had  great  experience 
in  decorative  work.J 
-  The  “Friendship”  Trees  at  Inveraray  Castle. — It  is 
interesting  to  learn  that  the  Duke  of  Argyll’s  grounds  at  Inveraray 
Castle  contain  almost  as  many  mementoes  of  distinguished  visitors  as 
does  the  Castle  itself.  One  portion  of  the  ground  is  planted  with 
“Friendship”  trees.  Sir  John  Lawrence  planted  a  Spanish  Chestnut 
in  1860  ;  Dr.  Guthrie  one  in  1863  ;  Dr.  Livingstone,  in  1864  ;  and  Mr. 
Gladstone’s  tree,  also  a  Spanish  Chestnut,  was  planted  in  1865.  The  late 
Emperor  Frederick  of  Germany  planted  a  Wellingtonia  Pine  in-1863,  and 
his  consort  a  Cypress.  Earl  Russell  chose  an  Oak  tree  to  commemorate 
his  visit.  Tennyson  planted  a  Spanish  Chestnut  and  a  Cedar  in  1857, 
and  James  Russell  Lowell,  on  the  occasion  of  his  visit  in  1880,  planted  a 
Silver  Fir.  A  very  fine  Cedar  of  Lebanon,  now  of  considerable 
dimensions,  commemorates  a  visit  of  her  Majesty  to  the  Duke  of  Argyll 
in  his  Argyllshire  seat. 
-  Fruiting  Young  Vines. — It  was  my  privilege  recently  to 
visit  Hewell  Grange,  the  Worcestershire  seat  of  Lord  Windsor,  and  see 
a  house  of  young  Vines  (Black  Hamburgks),  grown  from  eyes,  potted 
into  6-inch  pots  and  then  planted  permanently  in  an  inside  border  in 
May,  1896.  Last  year  (1897)  these  Vines  carried  and  finished  well  twelve 
to  fourteen  bunches  on  each  rod  of  10  feet  in  length  (see  the  Journal  of 
Horticulture,  October  28th,  1897,  page  417).  This  may  seem  a  heavy  crop 
on  Vines  so  young,  hut  it  had  no  prejudicial  effect,  for  on  August  9th 
they  were  carrying  an  average  of  fifteen  bunches  on  each,  which  will  be 
at  least  30  lbs.  of  Grapes  to  a  rod  of  10  feet.  Each  bunch  is  almost 
perfect.  The  Vines  are  in  splendid  health,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  Mr. 
Pettigrew  may  look  forward  to  equally  good  results  next  year.  In  the 
same  house,  planted  at  one  end,  is  a  seedling  Vine  from  Madresfield  Court, 
“crossed”  with  Black  Hamburgh,  which  has  been  allowed  to  carry  two 
bunches.  It  is  quite  distinct  from  any  other  variety,  with  line  berries, 
colour  jet  black,  and  combines  the  flavour  of  both  parents.  I  am  sure 
it  would  be  interesting  to  the  readers  of  the  Journal  to  hear  more  about 
this  house  of  Grapes  from  Mr.  Pettigrew  himself. — Charles  Colebrook. 
-  Export  op  Indiarubber  prom  the  Amazon  Region. — 
The  latest  report  of  Mr.  Churchill,  the  British  Con  ml  at  Para,  which 
is  the  chief  port  to  which  the  shipping  of  the  Amazon  resorts,  shows 
that  the  greater  part  of  the  great  rubber  production  of  the  Amazon 
region  is  exported  from  Para.  In  1896  the  value  of  this  export  from 
Para  was  nearly  3j  millions  sterling,  of  which  Great  Britain  took  over 
1|  million,  nearly  the  whole  of  the  remainder  going  to  the  United  States. 
The  quantity  was  15,226  tons,  the  total  export  from  the  Amazon  being 
20,981  tons,  the  balance  being  shipped  largely  at  Manaos,  about  1000 
miles  up  the  river.  The  chief  sources  of  production  are  along  the  great 
rivers  and  islands  in  the  Amazon  belonging  to  the  State  of  1  ara,  the 
valleys  of  the  main  tributaries  of  the  Amazon,  such  as  the  Purus  and 
Madeira,  and  the  Amazon  districts  of  Bolivia  and  Peru.  Mr.  Churchill 
gives  a  long  account  of  this  remarkable  industry  in  the  Amazon  region, 
its  history,  the  mode  in  which  it  is  now  carried  on,  the  profits,  the 
varieties  of  the  gum,  and  the  like.  The  most  important  observation  he 
makes  under  this  head  is  that  the  supply  is  regarded  by  competent 
authorities  as  inexhaustible,  because  the  tree  is  being  continually  re¬ 
produced  by  Nature.  Some  areas,  such  as  Cameta,  on  the  Tocantins, 
have  become  exhausted,  but  when  abandoned  for  a  time  they  recover, 
and  many  districts  have  not  been  tapped  at  all.  The  area  producing 
Para  rubber  amounts  to  a  million  square  miles,  and  further  exploration 
will  probably  show  that  this  is  under-estimated.  The  richest  zones  at 
present  known  are  along  the  banks  of  the  southern  tributaries  of  the 
Amazon,  and  on  the  islands  in  the  main  stream.  Some  of  the  northern 
tributaries  have  not  been  explored.  Cocoa  and  Brazil  Nuts  are  the 
chief  exports  after  rubber,  but  they  are  of  small  importance  compared 
to  it ;  and  although  the  region  produced  Rice  of  excellent  quality  it  is 
no  longer  cultivated,  as  all  the  labour  is  absorbed  in  the  rubber  industry, 
and  the  people  live  almost  wholly  on  imported  food.  (“  1  imes.  ) 
