, 1874-07-18

soil, and placing a large stcne to keep all firm.
By these means the plants could be readily
conveyed about the mountain slopes and plant
ed tins and all. The soil Tor scoria rather)
being to a very great extent impregnated with
salt, the tins soon rotted. Of all the plants,
trees or shrubs that came under my notice,
none grew away so rapidly or in such uDpro-
pitious places as this Waffle. [ have known
this plant, from a layer, to make the extraor-
binary growth of a circle of s to 10 feet in dia-
meter and 6 or 7 in height in the course of two
seasons in fact it did wonders at Ascension;
it was the pioneer for all extended planting.
| could have obtained any number of suckers
of the Banana, for this excellent fruit was flour
ishing in the ~ravines under the wind, but thew
would not answer in exposed places. The
same remark applied also to the Orange,
Shaddock, and Lime (Citrus). The Loquat
and Guava fruited, and seeded especially the
latter which produced its much esteemed fruit
in large quantities. Seed of this, as we'll as
of the Blackberry, which from a single sucker
from st. Helena had increased until it was be-
ginning to fill %ravines, at certain seasons pro-
duced fine fruit in sufficient quantities for me
to have gathered and is sued as other fruits.
BY using a few drops of essence Of lemon to
take off the fairness it was much esteemed for
making tarts, &c, being the only fresh English
fruit Obtainable. These iSland-saved seeds
were carried in our haversacks, and sOwn pro-
miScuously in our walks and rambles, together
with a forage plant-Job's tears (Coix lach-
rymal-which the Cattle greedily devoured.
These seeds were much sought after and used
as female embellishments, as beads and brace
let's, for which their peculiar colour and SLICE
Gus covering seems to adapt them. / saved
berries, and sowed them in rich cultivated land
slightly shaded, and they grew in immense
numbers so that / tranSplanted several thous-
ands, but with little success. They would not
stand in open exposed situations a few -four
ished in sheltered places. The largest tree on
the Island was the Melia Azedarach, which
bore berries and was much increased. It is a
fine ornamental tree, about 40 feet in height,
and when in bloom was quite a picture, produo-
ing myriads Of Lilac-like sweet scented flow
ers. Of Ficus ~elastica In dia. rubber}, I oh.
tanned from two large bushes, the only ones
on the Island, about 100, by layers, which
were transplanted. Now, so to speak, the re-
quisition, began to be replied to, and plants
and seeds were received from the previously
mentioned Botanic Gardens. We we're sue
cesSful with some and failed others. The
strictly tropical plants from the Mauritius did
not suit. Neither did the hardly Tin England)
deciduous shrubs from Kew, although a case
containing some Araucaria Bidwillii made a
capital start. Among the most useful things
received were packets OF Eucalyptus, Casua.
rina, and Australian Acacias. From these
seeds I was very successful in raising a large
number of seedlings, which were duly planted
out, and made in instances most extraordinary
growth in fact the Australian shrubs took the
lead as to rapidity Of growth, and seemed to
possess great power of attracting fogs and
collecting moisture. Whenever the weather
was in the least cloudy or foggy they were al
ways saturated with moisture, keeping the soil
round them continually wet, whereas plants
possessing great breadth of foliage-sucb, for
instance as the India-rubber, Brugmansia
suaveolens, Alpinia nutans, Hibiscus, &c-un-
der the same conditions, were found to be dry.
1t appeared therefore that if this class of plants
were possessed of condeDsing powers, they
were equally absorbent.
It is evident from these facts. that the ma
tural faults of a dry barren island under an
equatorial sun, are not irremediable, and that
by making a careful selection of plants, and
afterward of stock, it may in time be made
available to mans use; and others less barren,
but poor and dry, may be made more PLEASANT
and profitable. Might not those Australian.
c%onifers and acacias and other plants known to,
have similar properties condense the passing
vapours on Alden, Socotra, st, Paulse and AM