14 
JOURNAL 
OR  HORTICULTURE  AND 
001 TA  GE  GA  R  DEN ER . 
January  2,  1896. 
for  proper  selection.  Several  of  these  are  among  various  lots  sent 
me  by  onr  generous  friend  Mr.  Whittall  of  Smyrna.  It  is  not 
trenching,  I  think,  on  forbidden  ground  to  say  that  among  the 
many  trials  our  friend  is  having  in  that  distressful  land,  is  that 
his  collecting  expeditions,  which  were  doing  so  much  to  enrich  our 
gardens,  cannot  be  continued  in  the  unsettled  condition  of  the 
country.  Among  the  Snowdrops  he  has  sent  I  see  that  G.  Elwesi 
var.  unguiculatus,  which  came  in  1894,  is  coming  up  very  strongly, 
and  looks  as  if  it  would  not  only  be  early  this  season,  but  also 
much  more  vigorous  than  last  year.  Several  lots,  which  were  in 
bloom  when  collected  on  the  mountains  last  May,  and  which  we 
hoped  might  prolong  our  Snowdrop  season  still  longer,  are  so  far 
advanced  that  one  is  afraid  they  will  be  no  later  in  our  climate 
than  many  others.  It  may  be  accepted  as  an  axiom  in  Snowdrop 
growing,  however,  never  to  judge  either  the  quality  nor  the  time 
of  flowering  of  an  imported  Snowdrop  by  its  appearance  the  first 
season.  Enough,  however,  of  these  chaste  flowers  for  the  present, 
for  Snowdrop  lover  or  Galanthophile  as  I  am,  I  do  not  wish  to 
speak  ail  nauseum  of  their  beauties  or  their  habits. 
There  is  not  much  else  in  the  way  of  bloom  to  be  seen  now, 
and,  in  truth,  there  are  few  who  expect  or  look  for  anything. 
Some  of  the  plants  only  show  a  stray  flower  or  two,  which  are  as 
little  gems  amid  the  green  or  grey  cushions  on  the  rockeries  or 
amid  the  withered  stems  of  border  flowers,  left  meantime  for 
protection  to  the  few  blooms  near  by. 
We  have  the  clear  cold  flowers  of  the  Christmas  Rose,  which 
always  reminds  me  of  the  moon  on  a  winter  night  when  its  clear 
light  seems  to  make  the  cold  more  intense  as  it  illumines  the 
frozen  earth  or  the  sheets  of  drifted  snow.  Beautiful  they  are  ; 
but  how  passionless  !  They  are  prized,  but  not  loved  ;  and  why, 
I  know  not.  Then  there  is  a  tiny  little  gem,  insignificant  in 
stature  of  growth  and  in  size  of  flower,  and  withal  only  an  annual, 
which  is  very  beautiful  here  and  there  in  several  places.  It  is 
burdenod  with  the  name  of  Ionopsidium  acaule,  but  by  way  of 
compassion,  perhaps,  is  called  in  English  the  “  Violet  Cress.”  Our 
brethren  in  America  call  it  the  “  Diamond  Flower,”  and  one 
cannot  complain  of  the  choice  they  have  made,  although  our  name  of 
“  Violet  Cress  ”  has  the  prior  claim,  and  is  also  appropriate  enough. 
A  little  Cress-like  plant,  under  an  inch  high,  with  tiny  bright 
porcelain  flowers,  which  seem  to  catch  the  eye  with  their  brightness, 
is  not  inaptly  named  the  “  Diamond  Flower.”  A  gem  it  is,  and  of 
the  fiist  water  too,  and  one  almost  all  can  have,  even  if  the  products 
of  Kimberley  are  beyond  their  reach.  It  is  a  hardy  annual,  and 
yearly  I  sow  a  few  seeds  here  and  there  about  the  rockeries,  and  in 
places  where  the  bulbs  have  flowered. 
Then  there  are  one  or  two  flowers  only  of  Houstonia  coerulea 
alba  which  have  appeared  since  the  plant  received  the  second 
cutting  over  for  the  season,  a  process  which  seems  essential  if  we 
wish  to  retain  the  plant,  as  it  would  otherwise  flower  itself  to 
death.  Another  gem  is  this,  with  its  small  white  flowers  so 
sweetly  pretty. 
It  is  said  that  the  Pansy  was,  among  its  many  other  names, 
given  that  of  “  Kit-run-about,”  because  of  its  seeding  so  freely 
that  stray  plants  come  up  over  the  garden.  The  Violas  have  to  all 
appearance  inherited  this  virtue  or  failing,  and  one  is  at  this  season 
disposed  to  wink  at  this  trait,  seeing  that  through  it  there  are  a 
good  many  flowers  in  bloom  from  these  seedlings.  The  Pansy  and 
Viola  Society  would  look  indignant  were  they  presented  for  their 
judgment  ;  and  one  must  confess  that  at  other  times  they  would 
have  a  short  shrift,  and  the  plants  would  find  their  way  to  the 
rubbish  heap,  my  little  daughter  generally  intercepting  the  blooms 
before  the  same  fate  can  overtake  them .  Anthomis  tinctoria,  the 
Dyer’s  Camomile,  still  continues  to  show  some  of  its  second  crop  of 
flowers  ;  but  the  Michaelmas  Daisies  have  succumbed  to  the 
weather,  and  delight  us  no  more.  One  solitary  pink  Chrysanthemum, 
which  is  both  very  late  and  very  hardy,  has  formed  a  big  bush  in 
one  of  the  borders  and  brightens  it  up  well  ;  while  Piercy’s 
Seedling  continues  to  give  a  few  blooms. 
The  rockeries  are  verdant  with  the  Saxifrages  and  several  other 
plants,  but  we  know  not  when  they  may  be  sheeted  over  with  snow 
or  shrinking  before  an  icy  wind. — S.  Arnott. 
A  BOTANICAL  TRIP  in  EAST  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 
There  is,  undoubtedly,  a  great  difference  between  the  Shire 
Highlands  proper  and  the  valley  of  the  Shire  River,  from  which 
the  Highlands  derives  its  name.  The  difference  in  altitude  is  over 
3000  feet  ;  the  temperature  at  the  river  is  very  much  higher,  and, 
needless  to  remark,  the  flora  of  the  Shire  Valley  is  not  only  more 
varied,  but  composed  of  richer  species  than  those  found  on  the 
colder,  more  bracing,  and  les9  malarious  uplands.  We  have  visited 
the  Shire  Valley  to  add  to  our  present  collection  of  the  flora  a 
few  of  the  river  species. 
Accompanied  by  a  few  carriers  and  “Machilla”  boys,  we  started 
from  our  bungalow  in  the  early  morning,  reaching  “  Ilunterstone  ” 
(the  Cholo  residence  of  R.  S-  Hunter,  Esq.)  in  good  time  for 
breakfast.  After  partaking  of  his  kind  hospitality  we  made  for 
the  Cholo  range  of  hills,  over  which  we  must  climb  to  reach  the 
river.  In  traversing  one  of  the  valleys  we  came  across  some 
magnificent  clumps  of  Palms,  a  Raphia,  undoubtedly,  and  closely 
allied  "to  Raphia  Hookeri.  The  filaments  of  the  leaves  are  of 
a  slightish  blue-green  in  colour,  while  the  midrib  is  of  a  light 
sulphur-red,  and  when  a  clump  of  these  Palms  are  seen  growing 
luxuriantly,  with  leaves  from  20  to  40  feet  in  length,  it  will  readily 
be  believed  that  this  Raphia  is  one  of  the  most  striking  and 
beautiful  Palms  in  the  whole  of  Central  Africa.  The  wild  Date 
Palm,  Phoenix  spinosa,  is  also  plentiful  in  the  valleys. 
Continuing  our  journey  we  soon  reachod  the  top  of  the  hills,  and 
then  began  our  descent  on  the  other  side.  Gradually  as  we 
descended  we  left  behind  us  the  more  familiar  trees  and  shrubs  of 
the  Highlands.  The  Msuku  (Napaca  Kirki)  one  of  the  most 
common  trees  in  the  Highlands  is  rarely  found  below  2000 
feet  altitude,  but,  if  we  left  behind  us  old  friends, 
we  none  the  less  came  across  many  new  ones  whose 
acquaintance  we  should  like  to  make.  As  we  journeyed  down, 
ovor  the  brow  of  the  hills,  the  country  we  passed  through  seemed 
wonderfully  rich  and  fertile.  Species  of  Crotolaria  grew  on  every 
side,  whilo  the  Acacias,  loading  the  air  with  their  perfume,  were 
mingled  with  prickly  shrubs  aud  handsome  masses  of  Bamboos. 
Occasionally,  through  the  interstices  of  the  trees,  we  caught  a 
glimpse  of  the  Shire  h’iver  moving  onward  to  add  its  quota  to  the 
Zambesi.  Its  broad  and  transparent  current  looked  like  a  great 
coloured  snake — winding  and  twisting  about  against  a  background 
of  fairest  green,  while  far  away  on  the  distant  horizon  a  range  of 
mountains  closed  in  our  view.  As  we  stood  on  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
and  gazed  on  the  scene  before  us,  our  thoughts  were  borne  away 
to  another  river.  We  looked  upon  the  many  windings  of  the 
Shire,  and  we  tried  to  compare  them  to  the  windings  of  the  Forth 
below  Stirling  Castle. 
The  day  was  closing  in  as  we  neared  Makwira’s  village,  aud 
the  Chief  himself  seeing  us  coming  came  forward  to  welcome 
us.  Makwira  is  a  splendid  specimen  of  the  Makalolo,  and  a 
descendant  of  one  of  Livingstone’s  old  boys.  He  is  very  stout — 
perhaps  just  too  stout — possibly  from  drinking  too  much  “  Palm 
wine  ” — a  “  valiant  Tobacconalian,”  and  of  course  very  much 
married.  He  informed  us  he  had  only  about  twenty  wives  ;  had 
he  said  thirty  or  forty  he  would  have  been  more  correct  (but  in 
Africa  we  must  take  a  great  deal  of  what  is  said  to  us  cum  grano 
sails).  His  English  vocabulary  is  limited  to  about  twenty  words, 
which  are  being  continually  aired  ;  but  that  was  no  hindrance  to  us 
carrying  on  a  lively  conversation.  He  is  always  ploased  to  see 
Europeans,  whom  he  welcomes  with  every  degree  of  native 
hospitality. 
The  following  day,  accompanied  by  guides,  we  made  an 
excursion  to  the  other  side  of  the  river.  On  each  side  extends  an 
immense  plain,  stretching  inland  for  many  miles.  In  some  parts 
it  is  thickly  wooded,  the  trees  for  the  most  part  comprising  the 
Baobab,  Acacias  in  variety,  Euphorbias,  and  Hibiscuses.  A  hand¬ 
some  tree  is  the  “  Meombwa  ”  (Pterocarpus  marsupialis),  which  is 
the  one  principally  used  for  building  stockades  around  villages.  I 
cannot  do  better  than  quote  what  the  author  of  the  Shire 
Highlands,  Mr.  John  Buchanan,  says  regarding  the  “Meombwa” 
tree.  Regarding  building  stockades  he  says,  “  The  cuttings,  for 
such  they  are,  though  requiring  to  be  carried  by  two  or  three  men, 
are  set  into  a  trench  as  close  as  they  can  go  together  ;  they  root 
readily,  and  soon  put  forth  young  shoots,  which  gradually  develop 
into  branches.  Owing  to  their  being  so  closely  packed,  however, 
they  last  only  for  a  few  years.  I  have  seen  handsome  trees  grown 
from  cuttings  of  this  description,  that  had  all  the  appearance  of 
trees  grown  from  seed  ;  but  they  were  planted  in  good  soil,  and 
had  plenty  of  room.”  The  entrance  through  the  stockade  is 
narrow,  being  little  more  than  wide  enough  to  allow  a  man  to  pass 
through  having  first  stooped.  The  space  is  filled  from  inside  by  a 
wooden  seat,  which  had  once  been  the  bottom  of  a  canoe.  Outside 
the  entrance  is  an  arch  of  Euphorbia  with  a  piece  of  Bryo- 
phyllum  intertwined.  This  Bryophyllum  is  one  of  the  few  species 
whose  leaves,  when  placed  in  a  suitable  position,  emit  roots  at 
their  margins,  at  the  same  time  developing  on  their  upper  edge  a 
pair  of  leaves,  which  generally  assume  the  true  form  of  a  plant. 
All  around  the  stockade  are  species  of  Acacia  and  Euphorbia,  both 
of  the  most  formidable  character  and  appearance. 
The  tallest  tree  in  the  district  is  undoubtedly  the  “Njale;”  it 
has  a  clean,  straight,  unbranched  stem,  and  grows  to  a  great 
height.  The  undergrowth  at  once  attracts  attention';  it  is  princi¬ 
pally  composed  of  species  of  Indigofera,  Hibiscus,  Solanums, 
Convolvuli,  and  others,  and  several  dangerously  prickly  plants, 
