The times., 1899-12-10
SOUTH AFRICAN FLOWERS.
The Assortment OF the TraHsyaaI
Various and Fascinnting.
tTrlfg the Iauaau NsiIl

u rom the LONDON Mall.l
It is an cid disprovad libel on South Az
rica TO say that her birds are without song
and her flowers are without smell. Neither
statement is true. TIE fora and fauna OF
the Cape Colony, Natal and the Transvaai
are various and fascinating. Many Of the
birds sing and many of the flowers have
perfumes peculiarly their own.
The gigantic Cape disa and the glorious
Table Mountain heaths Of hundr IDS of va
rieties, have certainly no heavy perfume,
but on the other hand, the thousands Of
quaint little peeping ysldt flowers, from
pimpernel to orchid, have subtle suggestive
odOrs which are exquisite and refreshing.
In the Cape Colony for many miles be
tween the Paarl and Cape Town the line
is bordered with sO-called 'pig-liles." ="
These are none other than our carefully
tended and garden produced arums But
in South Africa they grow wild and in lux
uTiant prCfusion. Near Ceres there are
great fields full OF these snowy white
blooms with their Orange-yellOw pistils;
and TO see a couple of little niger children
playing about in this amplitude of white
ness is a delightful study in black and
white.
Up in the Transvaal, if farmer cult
Yates flowers at sll-and all Beers are not
as unsppreciative of beauty as their de-
tractors suggest-he almost always has on
his sto5p. or veranda, a couple OF tubs
containing plants of kettle perring. This
is the gardenia of the commercial London
buttcnhole 1t is smaller certainly, but
equally exquisite in scent and with a lit
tie care il flowers in great profusiOn. The
tuberose also fourishes amazingly in the
open air with but the smallest attention
and cultivation. The bulbs shoot up their
three or four-foct stems, each bearing very
sweeJ-smelling flowers, in an incredibly
snort space Of time.
In Pretoria roses are prolihc-in fact,
most Of the streets are bounded by rose
hedges throughout their length, and they
bloom with a frail pink monthly rose bios
sem fer three-quarters Of the year In
public places. such as the Burghers' Park,
the pT0fusion of roses lilies. carnations
and tuberoses is bewilderingly beautiful
The wild orchids Of Swaziland are famous.
They are Of at least twenty different kinds,
and although now no longer rare or yalu-
able. they are extremely curious and with
a little care and extra heat. they can be
induced TO develop into very wonderful
plants.
Everything grows in the Transvaal, if
the trouble is taken 10 plant H. The soil
being al practically virgin and naturally
( rich. the very smallest amount of atten-
lion is required. and the results obtained
in only few months are simply marvel
lOus. The blue gum or common eucalyp-
tus tree iiourishes amazingly, and from a
. tiny seeding grows TO twenty feet nigh
within three years. This seems surprising
but il is hard, solemn fact well-known
English tenor who was travelling in the
Transvsal once remarked that he verify
believed that if YOU planted walking sticks
you could reap umbrellas in a fortnight.
On nearly every veranda in johannes
burg grows the easily trained and useful
grenadIlla. This is a species of passion
flower, with pretty little feathery star
red flower and a very delicious egg-shaped
crink!ed-up. brownish green fruit, con-
raing a yellow pulp with many fiat black
seeds II has cooling slightly acid fav-
or. which must be tried to be appreciated
] The grenadilIa grows easily and quickly
and in flower, in fruit. and in foliage. it is
erv beautiful