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146 THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE. [JULY 30, 1881.

intense during digestion, and has no necessary relation
to the phenomena of excitation of the sympathetic
nerve-system, is somewhat obscure as to its "mechanism,"
but its existence proves directly the importance
and nutritive balue of the aliment in question,
which, consumed in such large quantities in
South America, is almost unknown in Europe.

—THE FRINGED HIBISCUS (HIBISCUS SCHIZOPETALUS).
—A figure of this remarkable plant, which
is now blooming at Kew, was given in our columns
for 1879, vol. xii., p. 273. It differs from H. rosasinensis,
a variable species, which furnishes many
handsome decorative plants, by its long-stalked, pendulous
flowers, and their peculiarly slashed fringed petals.
It is a native of east tropical Africa, from whence it
has been introduced within the past few years.

— THE EXTRAORDINARY TITHE.—The Select
Committee on Extraordinary Tithe, over which Mr.
INDERWICK presided, after entering into a history of
the extraordinary tithe rent-charge on Hops, fruit
and market-garden produce, make the following
recommendations in their report, issued on the
22d inst.:—

"The committee are of opinion that these extraordinary
charges are an impediment to agriculture, hampering
new cultivation, and that it is expedien that they
should be abolished, and they submit the following
scheme:—

"The committe recommend that the provisions of
the Tithe Commutation Acts Amendment Act, 1873,
should be extended to Hop grounds, and that no new
districts should be assigned.

"That the Tithe commissioners should be empowered,
upon the joint application of the owner of any land
now charged or chargeable with an extraordinary rent-
charge under the Tithe Commutation Acts and the person
entitled to the receipt of the said charge, to direct
that the same should be commuted into an additiona
ordinary rent-charge, or should be redeemed by payment
by the landowner of a sum to be agreed upon, subject to
the approval of the Tithe Commissioners. where the
rent-charge is payable to any spiritual person in respoect
of his benefice or cure, and the redemption money, if
any, to be paid to the Governors of Queen Anne's
Bounty, and to be applied by them (under the 8th section
of 9 and 10 Vic., cap. 73) in the augmentation of such
benefice or cure.

"That any owner of land in a parish paying an extraordinary
rent-charge may apply to the Tithe Commissioners
to commute or redeem the same, and the Tithe
Commissioners shall, in the even of the parties not
agreeing, make an inquiry into the nett value of teh extraordinary
charge upon the land so sought to be redeemed,
and for that purpose hear evidence on behalf of the
extraordinary tithe payer and receiver, and declare the
nett value of teh extraordinary charge taken on an average
of the nett receipts for the previous seven years, and
the terms upon which the extraordianry charge on the
various lands belonging to the said landowner in such
parish may be commuted or redeemed. And in case of
redemption, all the land of such landowner situate in
such parish shall for the future be free of all rent-charge
except the ordinary rent-charge.

"The committee further recommend that power
should be given to the Governors of Queen Anne's
Bounty to invest the redemption money of the extraoridnary
rent-charge in any security in which the Court of
Chancery now permits trustees to invest their trust
funds, and also that tenants for life, trustees, and other
persons having a limited interest in any estate of which
the whole or any portion is liable to the extraoridnary
charge should be enabled by law to raise the funds
necessary for such redemption and to charge them upon
such estate."

— PHILESIA BUXIFOLIA.—What a number of
grand plants have been introduced to British gardens
through the enterprise of Messrs. VIEICH! The
present one was first sent to this country by their
collector, Mr. W. LOBB. It is an erect evergreen
shrub, with Box-like leaves and rosy-red waxy Lapangeria-like
blossoms. Planted out on a rockery in the
Temperate-house at Kew, where it obtains partial
shade from Tree Ferns, &c., it luxuriates, and sends
up branches from its creeping rhizomes between the
stones, amongst which it is planted. By the way,
this species proved hardy for some years at Exeter
—a fact not to be wondered at considering the inhospitable
shores from which it hails. It would be interesting
if any reader of the Gardener's Chronicle would
report if it is now growing anywhere in the open air
of Britain, and under what conditions. Another
plant with which the name of Mr. W. LOBB must
also be connected is also flowering well at Kew, viz.,

Desfontainea spinosa; the glossy evergreen Holly-like
foliage contrasts strikingly with the large handsome
rich scarlet, yellow-tipped, bell-shaped drooping
flowers.

— SUGAR CULTIVATION IN SPAIN.—It is estimated
that the crop of sugar obtained in Malaga last
year amounted to about 5,750,000 kilos. The cultivation
of the Sugar-cane in this province is a comparatively
new industry. It is said to yield very
large profits, and will no doubt continue to be highly
remunerative so long as the import duties on Cuban
and foreign sugars are maintained.

— HOWARDIA CARACCENSIS.—As in the Mussændas
of our stoves, one of the minute teeth of the
calyx is in this plant enlarged into a stalked, heart-
shaped, deep rose-coloured foliaceous bract, which
adds materially to the beauty of the gracefully drooping
panicles of purplish-rose tubular flowers. At one
time this was detected as one of the medicinal barks
of commerce, and it is stated that the Bolivians use it
in intermittent fevers. It is a member of the same
natural order, and is a native of teh country from
whence come some of teh Cinchonas which have of
late years occupied so much attention. It is now in
flower at Kew.

— ASPARAGUS ÆTHIOPICUS TERNIFOLIUS.—
This handsome cool-house climber is figured and described
by Mr. BAKER in our columns for 1872, p.
1588. It is one of the numberous interesting as well
as horticulturally desirable plants collected in South
Africa for the late Mr. W. WILSON SAUNDERS by
Mr. THOMAS COOPER. In the Winter Garden at
Kew, where it has both plenty of root-room and space
to develope and exhibit its beauty, it forms a fine
object. There are few finer cool-house climbers;
under favourable conditions—plenty of root and top
room—it produces its racemes of white blossoms in
the greatest abundance.

— THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF ABERDEEN.
—An unfortunate occurrence took place
in connection with the arrangements for the flower
and fruit exhibition announced to be held recently,
under the auspices of this Society. As usual the
Society had secured the large tent of the Aberdeen
Marquee Company. Owing somehow to the defective
stability of the tent and the breeze which sprang up,
it came to the ground while the placing of exhibits
for the show was being actively carried out. Efforts
were made to secure suitable accomodation for holding
the exhibition, but after consulting with the
principal exhibitors the directors came to the unanimous
opinion that it was advisable not to hold the
show.

— RUBUS PHŒNICOLASIUS.—The most striking
object by far in the winter garden at Kew at the
present time is a plant of the Japanese Bramble
whose name appears at the commencement of this
note. It is a hardy species, but on the gravelly sand
of Kew, both against a wall and in the open, there is
nothing particularly striking about it; in the cool-
house, however, planted out, and its shoots taken up
a stake 12 feet or more in height, the last year's ones
forming a column of fruiting branchlets, it is so conspicuously
beautiful as to attract the attention of the
most unobservant. The leaves are almost snowy-
white beneath, the young shoots, &c., are clothed
with long scarlet gland-tipped bristles, and the
pleasant fruits are a bright, shining kind of orange-
red colour.

— A WALNUT WOOD FAMINE.—Canadian
and American papers are full of complaints of the
scarcity of Walnut wood, and fears are expressed that
the stock of this valuable tree is being rapidly exhausted.
At one time, says The Colonies and India,
the province of Ontario, then know as "Canada
West," produced an abundance of Walnut of fine
quality, but it now yields little or none. In the
United States, Indiana has been looked upon as the
"Walnut State," but the supply is not now equal to
the demand, and the "lumberers" are at their wits' end
to meet the requirements of the furniture manufacturers
in the States. Considerable quantities of
Walnut exist further south, but there are swamps and
various other physical difficulties in the way of the full
development of the trade there. The threatened
Walnut famine is only another proof of the recklessness
with which timber is destoryed, not only in

America, but in all new countries. The needs of the
present moment are gratified, but no are is taken for
the requirements of the future. The planting of
young trees as old trees are cut down is seldom systematically
carried out, and the consequence is that
the supply is gradually exhausted. Nor does the
evil end here. As we have frequently pointed out,
the whole climate of a country may be altered by the
clearing of its forests, and its very fertility seriously
affected if the due proportion of forest land to open
country is not maintained. There is not a colony,
however large and however abundant its natural
supplies of timber, which can afford to go on felling
and burning without planting. The recent experience
of Maritius, and the example which that
colony is setting, should be taken to heart by every
other colony.

— YUCCA GLORIOSA.—Mr. ALEXANDER MAULE
of the Bristol Nurseries calls attention to this plant
as suitable for cultivation in this country for the production
of fiber and of sugar. Mr. MAULE grows the
plant on small ridges a yard apart, and each plant a
yard from its fellow. Mr. MAULE estimates that a
plant three years old will yield 1 lb. of sugar and 1 lb.
of fibre. The previous summer's leaves are stripped
off about February.

— ABRONIA LATIFOLIA.—In the herbaceous
department at Kew this charming perennial is now
flowering freely. It is a vigorous trailer, perhaps
better known under the name of A. arenaria. It has
a stout fusiform root, which is often several feet in
length, and is said to be sometimes eaten by the
Indians; rather thick leaves, and umbels of very
fragrant, orange-scented blossoms. In a wild state it
is common on the sea-shore from Vancouver's Island
to Monterey.

— WOOD PULP FOR PAPER.—As an indication
of the extended use of wood pulp for paper-making
we learn that during the past year in Norway two
new wood-pulping factories were brought into action,
six more are about to be built, and eight of the nineteen
old establishments for the mechanical production
of pulp are to be considerbly enlarged. Besides
these, there are now in work, with one exception,
one chemical wood pulp factory, two pasteboard
factories, and seven paper factories. This branch of
industry seems specially adapted to Norway, inasmuch
as it renders the waterfalls profitable, and so aggrandises
the country by means of one of its natural forces,
becoming thus, in fact, an entirely new industrial
development.

— SERICOGRAPHIS MOHINTLI.—An Acanthad
of rambling habit, which, however, does beautifully
when allowed a fair amount of root-room, and treated
as a climber against glass. Its long scarlet flowers
are then produced in profusion, and form a striking
contrast with the grassy green leaves. It is now in
flower in the Palm-house at Kew.

— THE POTATO DISEASE.—It was observed in
a former article that a few only of the Early Rose
Potatos died this year after they were half grown—a
condition which was once notorious with American
varieties. Every plant, however, was carefully examined,
and the resting-spores of G. W. SMITH
were found both in the substances of teh tubers when
decayed or at the base of the young haulm. In the
latter case the produce of germination soon anastomosed,
but the destruction of the haulm gave no
chance of tracing the full development of the mycelium.
In the former case the whole of the substance of the
tuber, which afterwards rapidly passed into decay,
swarmed with mycelium; it was therefore hoped that
the result would be easily traced, but on looking at
the specimens, which were placed in a position favourable
for development, the tubers with the exception
of the skin had passed into a liquid mass, without
perfecting any fructification, though at first there was
a large growth of hyphæ. M. J. B.

— NYMPÆA ODORATA ROSEA.—This is a
charming form of the sweet-scented North American
Water-Lily, which has recently flowered at Kew, and
has been drawn for the Botanical Magazine. It differs,
at present, from the commoner type in the smaller size
of its flowers (which will probably become larger as
the plants get stronger), and their beautiful colour, a
lovely rose tint : this is in all probability a permanent
character. The variaety is mentioned by Dr. ASA