This flour when made into porridge is called Usima. Englishmen use a large quantity of this flour in porridge and bake it into bread. Ground Nuts grow well, and when roasted are very good. Different kinds of beans are cultivated. One is the French Bean, probably introduced by the Portuguese. Two varieties are white, one black, and one, a round bean contained in a thin pericarp, has the peculiarity of growing attached to the root fibres underground. The Sweet Potatoes which they cultivate are rather small; it is the opposite in our garden, but new ground may have something to do with it. Here and there an occasional patch of Sugar-cane may be seen grown for eating in the raw state. Sugar-cane is extensively grown on the banks of the Shire River. Bananas are the only fruit cultivated.

We arrived here on October 24, in time to get our seeds sown before the rains. The first thing to be done was to prepare ground for Rice and Sugar-cane, and a number of natives with hoes were at once set to work. On November 10th, 14th, and 15th Rice was planted; it "briered" in eight days, and looked well until the end of January. The soil was peaty. February was very dry, scarcely any rain fell. The growth was severely checked, and though rain was plentiful in March it never recovered, and a poor crop was reaped about the end of May. A small piece of very wet ground, in which the Rice was transplanted, produced a good crop. I don't think Rice can be grown here without irrigation. Indian Corn grew admirably, but the seed from Edinburgh was a complete failure. I found Sweet Potatoes to be a crop easily cultivated and propagated. Some plants from an old garden soon afforded me plenty of cuttings. These I made a foot long, took off the leaves, and planted them 3 feet apart. They quickly rooted and covered the ground. A small plot was sown with the oil seed called Sesame, and yielded a fair crop. This we shall cultivate largely, as it is the chief article of export.

On November 9 I sowed English vegetable seeds-Cabbages, Lettuces, Cauliflowers, Carrots, Onions, Leeks, Beetroot, Peas, Melons, Cucumbers, and Tomatos; most of these proved to be a failure. The Windsor and common field Bean a total failure, as also Mangel Wurzel, Kohl Rabi, and Turnips. At various times I made sowings of English

grains, Wheat, Rye, and Barley. Of these not one grain vegetated. I can in no way account for such failures, as the seeds seemed good and the soil in fine order when the trials were made. A variety of Wheat from the lower Shire has done tolerably well. Sown on April 2, it is being reaped now; it is short in growth, but the ears cannot be complained of. From Mr M'Gibbon, Botanic Gardens, Capetown, we obtained a varied collection of seeds, amongst which were two varieties of Oats; the Cape feeding Oat, and the Queensland Oat. They have grown as well as could be expected. The Cape feeding Oat is grown in the colony for making hay. The Queensland is different; it is much like the Sandy Oat of Scotland. From Mr M'Gibbon we got Tea, Coffee, and Cotton (Sea Island) Seeds. I have made several trials of the Tea, but without any result. The seeds swelled as if to vegetate, but they rotted. I think the Coffee seed must have been too old. The Cotton grew pretty well. The climate is delightful and healthy; the rainy season commences about the middle of November, and continues till the end of April. I have not seen a whole day of rain. In January it rained nearly every day, but generally in showers of short duration. In February there was little rain, in March plenty. The dry season is from May to November. Now it is very dry, and vegetation is at rest. I am keeping a record of temperature. The heat is in no way excessive, the highest temperature since May has been 134°; at mid-day it ranges between 80° and 100°. The ground heat at mid-day averages about 70°; the highest I have seen was 82°. During night the ground temperature falls on an average from 10° to 12°. I shall try this season to record the rainfall. Blantyre is about 3000 feet above. the sea-level, on what Livingstone called the third plateau of the Shire Hills.

XXV. Open-Air Vegetation at the Royal Botanic Garden. By JAMES M'NAB, Curator.

(Read at the Monthly Meetings, 1878.)

It has been observed that the year 1877 was remarkable for the untimely flowering of many plants, arising, with trees and shrubs, from the unripened state of the wood at the proper time, occasioned by the recent sunless summer, and with herbaceous and bulbous plants from the undeveloped state of their roots, caused in most cases by excessive moisture. The mild autumn and early winter of 1877-8 induced many plants to blossom later than usual. On January 31 the leaf-buds of Lilacs, Scarlet Ribes, Cydonia japonica, and Roses, were far advanced, the last still flowering in the open air, and in some places near the sea very fine. This unnatural state of matters will much influence the report on open-air vegetation. In most seasons a period of rest between autumn and spring takes place, from long and severe frost and snow, or continued drought, all of which are essential to vegetation, particularly after a good and productive summer. If all is favourable, spring plants advance regularly and successively, and their dates of flowering can be recorded. This winter many plants have flowered in December and January, viz., Veronica rupestris, Lithospermum fruticosum, Potentilla alba, Gentiana acaulis, Helleborus of sorts, Hepatica triloba, Aubrietia grandiflora, Primula vulgaris, P. polyanthus, Stocks, and Wallflowers, Arbutus unedo, Erica carnea alba, also Senecio pulcher, which has been fine, and is flowering on the rock garden.

In 1877 the Hazel flowered throughout January, but no fruit was produced, the male catkins being destroyed while in perfection. This year, although the Hazels were covered with catkins, no flower was expanded in January; while Garrya elliptica (male) has been in flower since December 25, while last year no flowers were produced before the middle of January. Jasminum nudiflorum has been in flower most of the winter. Several herbaceous plants, usually in bloom in January, are not yet out, as Tussilago fragrans, Sternbergia lutea, Leucojum vernum, Crocus Imperati, C. Susianus, also Galanthus nivalis, except a few on a lawn close to the Palm

house wall, where frost never reaches them. Several shrubs which usually flower about the middle of January are also late, as Viburnum Tinus, Daphne Mezereum, Rhododendron atrovirens, R. Nobleanum, and Cornus mascula.

On 31st January, fruit buds on many trees seem well formed, and in all likelihood the smaller kinds will ripen freely. With the Apple, Pear, and Plum, blossom-buds appear plentiful, probably in consequence of having little fruit to mature last year. The seeming immature state of the wood, however, from the sunless summer, followed by recent frosts, may operate against the proper ripening of the fruit, unless the season prove exceptionally fine. It often occurs to me that when a large amount of blossom is produced, and all allowed to open, the excess of bloom tends to deteriorate the strength of the wood. In several instances I have recommended that a quantity of blossoms should be cut off while in bud, leaving only sufficient for the trees to

mature.

In October the thermometer was six times at or below freezing, amounting collectively to 15°. The lowest markings were on the mornings of the 3d, 9th, 12th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, indicating respectively 31°, 31°, 32°, 27°, 24°, and 32°; while the six highest morning temperatures were on the 7th, 14th, 15th, 22d, 30th, and 31st, indicating 50°, 53°, 55°, 49°, 45°, and 45°.

In November the thermometer was six times at or below freezing, amounting collectively to 32°, while in 1863 110° were registered. The lowest during 1877 were on the 21st, 24th, 25th, 26th, 28th, and 30th, indicating 23°, 24°, 25°, 28°, 31°, and 29°. The six highest morning temperatures were on the 1st, 2d, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 15th, indicating 44°, 44°, 41°, 44°, 45°, and 41°.

In December the thermometer was fourteen times at or below freezing, making in all 63°. The lowest markings were on the mornings of the 3d, 14th, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th, indicating 28°, 28°, 21°, 17°, 26°, and 23°; while the six highest morning temperatures were on the 10th, 16th, 17th, 19th, 21st, and 22d, indicating 43°, 40°, 44°, 40°, 44°, and 46°.

In January the thermometer was seventeen times at or below freezing, indicating collectively 101°; while in

January 1864 no less than 394° were registered. The lowest markings were on the mornings of the 10th, 11th, 22d, 25th, 30th, and 31st, indicating 22°, 23°, 22°, 14°, 21°, and 23°; while the highest morning temperatures were on the 4th, 6th, 14th, 15th, 16th, and 20th, indicating 40°, 40°, 41°, 41°, 41°, and 40°.

February was an enjoyable month, with little wind and frequent sunshine. East wind was only experienced on two successive days; little rain and no snow fell. Vegetation made rapid progress, but in most instances is not robust. Excepting Rhododendron atrovirens, R. dahuricum, and R. præcox superbum, which were particularly fine this season, the buds of early scarlet Rhododendrons are scarce and weakly. The forcing of many of the plants of R. Nobleanum has been precarious, when compared with forcing the same kinds whose buds were ripened after a fine summer. The same remark holds good this year with plants of Deutzia gracilis, D. crenata, Astilbe japonica, Lilacs, &c. Buds are far advanced on standard Apples, Pears, and Gooseberry bushes, and many buds of Jargonelles on walls are expanded. The Scotch or Wych Elm is in flower, and leaves are forward on many deciduous trees, as Thorns, Lilacs, Nuttallia cerasiformis, Ribes sanguineum, Willows, Elder, &c., and even the Larches have a greenish tinge. Numerous herbaceous plants have made growths several inches long-i.e., Crown Imperial, 10 inches; Papaver orientale, 8 inches; Symphytum tauricum and caucasicum, each 18 inches; Hemerocallis fulva, 12 inches; Orobus elegans, 6 inches; Verbascum longifolium, 10 inches; Ferulas, 12 inches; and the Bunch-grass (Elymus condensatus), 14 inches. Many of the Cabbage tribe are running to flower, which ought now to be useful for culinary purposes. Grass lawns are beautiful and green, as well as the foliage of all evergreen trees and shrubs. Thuja elegantissima and T. aurea have already passed into their spring phase, the brown or winter hue having disappeared. The dryness of the ground without frost, along with the comparatively mild weather, has caused many herbaceous plants to flower-not usually observed in February. Many bulbous plants flowered during the month, while others were later, the bulbs having rotted from excess of moisture.