28 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
January  12,  189J. 
-  IIELIOPHILA  SCANDEXS. — A  plant  of  this  S.  African  Crucifer 
is  now  in  flower  in  the  succulent  house  at  Kew.  It  is  a  climbing  plant 
with  small,  dark  i;reen  leaves,  and  produces  loose  racemes  of  white, 
Wallflowcr-Iike  blossoms  in  great  abundance  during  November,  December 
and  January.  It  is  an  easily  managed  plant,  and  might  be  used  more 
extensively  than  at  presort,  both  as  a  climbing  plant  for  the  roof,  or  a 
pot  plant  for  the  cool  greenhouse.  It  will  root  from  cuttings,  and  almost 
any  ordinary  potting  soil  is  suitable  for  it.  Plants  which  flower  so  freely 
as  this,  at  a  time  of  year  when  greenhouse  flowers  are  scarce,  are  worthy 
of  prominent  places. —Kewite. 
'  -  Fruit  Evaporation.  —  There  is  a  big  outlet  in  the  fruit 
business  awaiting  development  in  India  in  connection  with  the  evaporation 
process.  Not  fruit  drying,  but  fruit  evaporation,  because  the  difference 
between  the  two  processes,  both  as  regards  quality  and  cheaper  working, 
is  very  marked.  In  a  recent  pamphlet  issued  by  the  Department  of 
Agriculture  at  Washington,  the  great  progress  made  of  late  years  in 
America  in  this  connection  is  described.  In  Prun's  alone  it  is  stated  that 
2,914,599  lbs.  were  imp  jrted  in  1SS8.  In  1896,  however,  the  Californian 
product  was  estimated  at  55,200,000  lbs.,  and  Washington,  Oregon,  and 
Idaho  also  largely  engaged  in  Prune  culture  and  evaporation,  so  that 
last  year  the  product  of  American  orchards  exceeded  100,000.000  lbs.  of 
dried  Prunes.  The  increase  of  home  production  has  been  noted  in 
the  decrease  of  imports,  which  had  fallen  in  1897  to  736,978  lbs. — 
(“  Indian  Gardening,”) 
-  Pycxostachys  urticifolia. — At  this  season  of  the  year 
this  plant  comes  in  very  useful  for  the  intermediate  house,  as  the 
flowers— besides  being  freely  produced — are  of  an  uncommon  colour. 
It  is  a  tropical  African  plant,  end  at  first  sight  might  bo  taken  for  a 
Salvia.  AVhen  growing  strongly,  the  Nettle-like  leaves  are  often  from 
8  to  9  inches  long  by  7  inches  wide  at  the  base.  The  flowers  are  a  rich, 
dark  shade  of  blue,  and  are  borne  in  dense  conical  racemea  from  4  to 
6  inches  long,  from  the  points  of  all  the  main  and  lateral  branches.  They 
commence  to  open  about  Christmas,  and  are  in  good  condition  during 
January  and  February.  It  is  not  a  difficult  plant  to  manage.  Cuttings 
should  be  rooted  in  spring  and  be  kept  growing  all  the  summer,  the  same 
treatment  being  given  as  is  accorded  to  Chrysanthemums.  When  young 
they  should  be  stopped  frequently  ;  by  this  means  good  bushy  plants,  in  8  or 
9-inch  pots  can  be  had.  After  being  grown  outside  all  the  summer  they 
should  be  put  into  a  cold  frame  in  September,  removing  to  an  intermediate 
house  as  the  buds  begin  to  show.  If  planted  out  in  a  warm  greenhouse 
growth  is  more  vigorous,  and  if  the  room  can  be  given  plants  10  feet  high 
with  an  immense  number  of  flower  heads  can  be  had  in  a  year  from 
cuttings.  A  number  of  plants  may  now  be  seen  in  flower  in  the  Mexican 
house  at  Kew. — W.  D. 
-  Emigrants’  Information.  —  The  January  circulars  of  the 
Emigrants’  Information  Office  and  the  annual  editions  of  the  penny  hand¬ 
books  show  the  present  prospects  of  emigration.  The  notice  boards 
are  now  exhibited,  and  the  circulars  may  be  obtained  free  of  charge,  at 
more  than  300  public  libraries  throughout  the  country.  In  New  South 
Wales  matters  relating  to  trade,  labour,  and  industry  are  improving,  and 
land  settlement  is  increasing.  The  dairying  industry  is  largely  on  the 
increase,  and  many  now  factories  are  being  erected.  The  number  of 
unemployed  throughout  the  colony  has  become  much  less  ;  scrub  cutting 
at  the  West  Bogan  is  almost  the  only  Government  work  now  being  carried 
on  for  the  benefit  of  those  out  of  employment,  the  average  wages  there 
being  5s.  6d.  a  day.  But  the  effect  of  the  long  drought,  and  of  serious 
disputes  between  capital  and  labour,  have  made  employment  in  many 
cases  precarious.  In  Victoria  farmers  would  do  well.  In  South 
Australia  a  Government  Labour  Bureau  has  just  been  established  for  the 
purpose  of  facilitating  the  obtaining  of  emplov'ir.ent.  The  Bureau  is 
situated  in  Victoria  Square,  Adelaide,  and  branches  may  be  established 
elsewhere.  In  Queensland,  notwithstanding  the  late  severe  drought, 
which  caused  great  losses  in  the  western  and  central  districts,  settlement 
on  grazing  farms  by  practical  men  is  steadily  progressing,  especially  in 
the  west  and  the  north-west  ;  the  tick  disease  in  the  north  has  become 
much  less  prevalent.  There  is  a  general  demand  throughout  the 
colony  for  ploughmen  and  other  farm  labourers.  In  Western  Austral  a 
there  is  a  good  demand  for  farm  labourers  in  many  parts  of  the  south¬ 
west.  In  Tasmania  tho  demand  for  most  kinds  of  ordinary  labour  is 
increasing  there  as  the  mines  develop,  and  m.en  able  to  take  up  and  work 
a  few  acres  of  land  will  get  a  good  price  for  vegetables.  In  other  parts 
of  the  colony  there  is  no  general  demand  for  more  mechanics  or  farm 
labourers.  In  New  Zealand  ordinary  labourers  find  plenty  of  work  in 
country  districts  at  this  season  of  the  year.  In  3ape  Colony  and  Natal 
there  is  little  demand  for  mechanics  or  labourers  at  the  present  time. 
- A  Scottish  Weather  Grievance,  —  A  Lothian  corre¬ 
spondent  expresses  tho  hope  that  dwellers  in  the  South  are  enjoying 
more  seasonable  weather  than  that  by  whicdi  northerners  are,  as  he  says, 
“  tormented,”  and  his  outburst  of  grief  culminates  in  the  exclamation, 
“No  ice  for  storing,  and  no  curling  !”  It  must  be  very  sad  for  the  fine 
old  gardener,  but  perhaps  the  weather  will  change  before  June,  so  that 
he  may  have  a  hit  off  and  Lc  happy. 
-  Sternbergia  lutea, — I  send  you  a  few  flowers  of  Stern- 
birgia  lutea,  to  show  how  well  it  w  ithstands  the  rough  weather  of  the 
last  month.  It  was  on  New  Year’s  day  by  far  the  brightest  flower  in  the 
garden  in  tho  open  air,  and  will  be  for  some  time  to  come,  as  I  find  there 
are  yet  quite  small  buds  to  open.  The  bulbs  were  not  planted  until 
October  last,  which  of  course  accounts  for  its  flowering  so  late,  its  usual 
season  being  September  and  October.  Judging  from  the  results  of  this 
season’s  planting  a  succe3^ion  of  flowers  may  be  had  by  planting  at 
intervals, — J.  11,  Lane.  [The  flowers  were  very  rich  in  colour,  and  must 
have  materially  brightened  tho  already  beautiful  garden  of  Mr.  Eiwes  at 
Colesbourne.l 
-  Colonial  Parcel  Post.— The  postage  to  be  prepaid  on 
parcels  for  Antigua,  Ascension,  Bahamas,  Barbadoes,  British  East 
Africa,  British  Honduras,  Beyrout,  Ce}lor,  Constantinople  (by  direct 
steamer).  Cyprus,  Dominica,  Falkland  Islands,  Gambia,  Gibraltar,  Gold 
Coast  Colony’,  Grenada,  Jehore  (via  Singap  ire),  Lagos  (Africa),  Malta 
(by  direct  steamer),  Montserrat,  Nevis,  Newfoundland,  Niger  Coast 
Protectorate,  Niger  Territory,  St.  Helena,  St.  Kitts,  St.  Lucia,  St. 
Vincent  (West  Indies),  Sarawak,  Seychelles,  Sierra  Leone,  Smyrna  (by 
direct  steamer),  Straits  Settlements,  Tobago,  Tortola,  and  Trinidad,  is  now 
for  each  parcel  weighing  not  over  3  lb..  Is.  ;  over  3  lb ,  but  not  over  7  lb., 
2s.  ;  over  7  lb.,  but  not  over  11  lb.,  3s.  A  similar  charge  will  be  made  in 
tho  postage  on  parcels  from  these  places  for  the  United  Kingdom. 
-  CUPRESSUS  Lawsoniana  for  HEDGES.  —  The  Oregon,  or 
white  Cedar  (Cupressus  Lawsoniana),  is  remarkable  for  the  number  of 
its  varieties.  In  its  native  land  it  attains  great  dimensions — 150  feet  in 
height  and  18  feet  in  girth,  more  or  less.  The  wood  is  white  and  fragrant,, 
and  much  in  demand.  In  this  country  it  is  used  chiefly  for  ornament  and 
for  hedges.  For  the  latter  purpose  trees  5  feet  or  6  feet  in  height,  and 
planted  at  3  feet  or  4  feet  distances,  a  useful  hedge  can  be  obtained  almost 
at  once.  The  root  fibre  is  usually  plentiful,  and  if  ordinary  care  is^ 
exercised  there  is  little  risk  attending  the  transplanting.  It  will,  of 
course,  be  evident  that  this  kind  of  hedge  is  employ  ed  for  gardens  and 
pleasure  grounds,  not  for  field  purposes.  The  present  time  and  season 
are  especially’  suitable  for  planting  this  and  kindred  varieties. 
C.  E.  Curtis  (in  “  Estates’  Gazette.”) 
-  Export  of  Indiarubber  from  the  Amazon  Begion. 
The  latest  report  cf  Mr.  Churchdl,  the  British  Consul  at  Para,  whii.h 
is  the  chief  port  to  which  tho  shipping  of  the  Amazon  resorts,  shows, 
that  the  greater  part  of  the  great  rubber  production  of  the  An.azon 
region  is  exported  from  Para.  In  1896  the  value  of  this  export  from 
Para  was  nearly  three  and  one-half  million  sterling,  of  which  Great 
Britain  took  over  one  and  three-fourth^  million,  nearly  the  wh.le  of 
the  remainder  going  to  the  United  States.  The  quantity’  was  15,226 
tons,  the  total  export  from  the  Amazon  being  10,981  tons,  tho  balance 
being  shipped  largely  at  Manaos,  about  one  thousand  miles  up  the 
river.  The  chief  sources  of  production,  says  “The  Times,”  are  along 
the  groat  rivers  and  islands  in  the  Amazon  belonging  to  the  State  of 
Para,  the  valleys  of  the  main  tributaries  of  the  Amazon,  such  as  the 
Parus  and  Madeira,  and  the  Amazon  districts  of  Bolivia  and  Peru- 
Mr,  Churchill  gives  a  long  account  of  this  r "markable  industry  in  the 
Amazon  region,  its  history’,  the  mode  in  which  it  is  now  carried  on,  the 
profits,  tho  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  con¬ 
tinually  reproduced  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  iu  the  main  stream. 
Some  ot  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. 
