ASTILBE JOPONICA COMPACTA.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12, 21 September 1907, Page 22

ASTILBE JOPONICA COMPACTA.

The above is a variety of the plant that has been disseminated under the erroneous name of Spiraea japonica. It belongs to a different natural order, however — namely, Saxifragacea. The Astilbes, therefore, differ from the Spiraeas in a minute but very important botanical particular, which need not be recounted here. At the same time our readers should be explicit on the point when speaking of this plant, because there is a shrub named Spiraea japonica with which it can easily be confused in writing or speaking of it. The plant under notice has its leaves divided in a ternate manner, usually twice divided in this fashion, whereas the leaves of Spiraea japonica are mere-

ly serrate on the edges and not divided at all. The variety compacta merely differs from the type in having a larger feathery-looking panicle of white flowers, and in their being more closely placed upon the branches of the inflorescence.

NATIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN RUINED WITH WEEDS.

It is appalling when one thinks of the amount of damage which has been wrought to the vegetation of entire countries by neglect or carelessness. Some countries have so much vitality that they soon recover from any number of scourges, be they famines, fires, or plagues, while others are devastated forever. What is now the great Desert of Sahara was once in part a great forest. This was in the days of the Carthaginians, who cut down the trees to be used for fuel and building purposes. Corn was planted in place of the forest trees. This was the state of affairs when the Romans came into possession of this country, and they in turn continued this work of destruction till the forest almost disappeared, and the land for miles around was a barren waste. Year afteryear and century after century the whole of North Africa was inundated by floods, which washed the soil from the hills and swamped the valleys. The plain which is now the Sahara Desert had no trees which could absorb the moisture and let it gradually find its way to the sea, so the water ran quickly from its barren soil and left it a sandy waste, scorched by the sun. This mistake was not one of the past from which we have learned a valuable lesson, for even in this enlightened age the error is often repeated. Nations cut down valuable forests, and leave rhe land to the mercy of winds and storms. Alaska will show us an instance of this. Great trees once stretched across its landscape, and the land beneath was a deadly swamp. The labourers in the employ of the Western Telegraph Companyfelled the trees to make nolcs which

should Cari-y the wires through Alasksl, across Behring Straits, and then via Siberia to Europe. These thousands of men cut a wide avenue several thousand miles long through virgin forests, only to abandon the project when three parts finished. When the plans for the Atlantic cable were found to be feasible the project of the telegraph company- was ruined. Instead of restoring the demolished forests the Government alolwed them to be left half ruined, with the fallen trees scattered in all directions. The total damage is already beyond computation. Enormous tracts of the finest grazing land in Tasmania have been ruined by the growth of Sweetbrier and Gorse, and Tasmania has lost the use of its finest river by the spread of w-atercress plant-

ed years ago by an ent. rprising farmer and allowed to grow unchecked. The Argentine Republic suffered the loss of hundreds of thousands of its most valuable grazing acres through the ravages of the European Thistle. The seeds were imported in cheap wheat which had been bought for planting, and the farmers, not taking the trouble to sift the wheat from the thistle seed before planting, sowed a crop which has been the ruin of their fields. The harm was planted beyond remedy when the wheat was put in the ground, for the wheat fields were soon covered with a dense growth of thistles, and the land had to be abandoned. It is now an impenetrable thicket which harbours wiki birds and beasts of nrev. The grazing lands of Australia were sown with ruin in much the same way. Less than fifty years ago a large number of Indian-bred ponies were imported from I’atagoni-a. In the long hair of their coats were hidden the seeds of the hated Bathurst weed, which soon took root in the Australian soil and spread rapidly, utterly ruining the pastures. The oil fly has damaged the Olive crop in Southern Italy to the sum of 30,000.000 dollars already, and there must be still greater loss before the remedy for the trouble is effective. The Italians are alone to blame for existing conditions. For years they have snared and entrapped every kind of bird, both large and small, with the result that Southern Italy is almost depopulated of the feathered tribe. Thus the oil fly increases and flourishes unchecked. The work of importing birds as a preventive measure has been begun, but it will be some years before they materially decrease the hordes of the insect pest.— “Scottish Gardener.”

[The writer of the foregoing evidently is not aware of our troubles, else he would have mentioned codlin moth, pear leach, blight, etc., and he would have a great field in blackberry. There may be consolation after all in knowing other countries have their noxious weeds as well as New Zealand, but it won’t assist some consolation after all in knowing other countries have their noxious weeds as well as New Zealand, but it won’t assist to rid us of ours. —Veronica.]