it is attacked by fungi and parasitical insects, their presence not being the cause of the disease, but a consequence.

This, I believe, is the generally-received theory regarding the potato disease, and it seems a very reasonable one. But I am not aware that what I am about to say has yet been received as reasonable. I hold that we cannot cure the potato disease, but that we may prevent it; and, in order to do so, I would import annually wild tubers from the Andes. These I would go on improving until I had produced varieties fit for profitable cultivation. The farmer should then take them, and use them in the way that would pay him best. They would keep sound for many years; but whenever he saw signs of failure, let him cease to propagate the enfeebled plants and fall back on a later importation. As the Andes are far away, perhaps it would be advisable to acclimatise the wild plant on the hills of Italy and Spain, where they could be got at more easily. I know that potatos imported from South America to this country have failed, but what I do not know is the history of those potatos before they were imported. I should mention, in conclusion, that the Chilenos always plant their potatos whole.

Lapageria rosea (R. and P.)--This beautiful climber, which is now exhibited at almost every flower-show, grows wild amongst "Boldo" bushes in the neighbourhood of Concepcion, lat. 36° S. It is named in honour of Josephine Lapagerie, wife of Napoleon I., but I much prefer its euphonious Indian name "Copigue.”

Oxalis. Of this genus we have in Scotland only one species— the wood sorrel; but in Chile there are 57 species, some of which are now cultivated in this country; but I do not think that the "Churco" (0.gigantea), the largest Oxalis in the world, has yet been introduced. It grows in great patches in the desert of Atacama, and attains a height of from three to five feet. The flowers are yellow, and about the size of a buttercup; the leaves are trifoliate, and have the ordinary acid taste. It flowers with one shower a year, but if there happens to be no rain it does not blossom. The inhabitants of the district in which it grows make use of it in housebuilding. First they put up a frame-work of wood, next fill all the open spaces with "Churco," and then plaster all over with clay. It is said that rats will not eat through this wall, doubtless because they dislike the taste of "Churco."

I must mention one other species of this genus-O. lobata, “ Flor

de la perdiz, or Partridge flower" of the natives. It is the earliest flower of the rainy season. When the Stork's Bill and young grass are making the hill-sides green, this little bulbous-rooted sorrel springs up as plentiful as our field daisy, and by the month of May, which corresponds to our November, the surface is, as it were, gilded with its delicate yellow blossoms.

Tropaeolum tricolor, T. brachyceras, and T. azureum.-These are exquisitely beautiful climbers, covering the bushes in September and October. They are all now cultivated in our conservatories. I was surprised to see another Chilian species, T. speciosum, growing freely on the front of a cottage near Selkirk in the autumn of 1877. T. tricolor is described by Darwin in his work on Climbing Plants.

Aristotelia, "Maqui."-This is an arborescent bush about the size of our hazel. I mention it to show how easily Chilian shrubs might be acclimatised here. I raised a plant of it from seed at Innellan in 1873, and it has grown there in the open air ever since. "Maqui" berries are reckoned a powerful remedy in dysentery.

Lardizabala biternata, "Coguille."-This is an evergreen climber, as beautiful as ivy, and bears graceful racemes of dusky purplechocolate flowers. It comes nearer my idea of tropical woody climbers than anything I have seen. A young plant of it is now growing in the Glasgow Botanic Gardens.

Drymis chilensis, or D. winteri (Winter's Bark), tree "Canelo."This handsome evergreen tree extends from the Straits of Magellan to lat. 31° S. It is the sacred tree of the Araucanian Indians, and its bark was long a well-known medicine in our own country. It was introduced by Dr. Winter, a physician in Drake's expedition in 1577-hence its name, Winter's Bark. It is well worth the attention of shrub fanciers, and would grow easily in mild situations. The general aspect is that of the rhododendron, but looser. The flowers are, however, quite different.

Ledocarpum pedunculare, "Amancay."-This handsome yellowflowered woody plant grows in the northern desert. It is easily raised from seed. I had a plant of it eight inches high, but it died in the air of Glasgow.

Cruickshanksia (natural order, Rubiaceae).-This genus is peculiar to Chile, and, so far as I know, none of the species are yet cultivated in Britain. They grow in the north, and form beautiful patches on the sand.

Myrtus ugni, "Mol."-A fine plant of this is in the Glasgow

Botanic Gardens. The berries are very good, and are made into jam. There are 44 species of Myrtaceae in Chile, some of them very beautiful shrubs, especially when in flower.

Loranthus.-Four species. These are all parasitical, and, like the mistletoe, have exceedingly sticky berries.

Litrea venonosa.-This was one of the first plants I heard of in Valparaiso. "Have you seen 'Litre'?" Then I was told of its wonderful properties. If you touch it, or sit under its shade, your face swells and turns red, as if you had erysipelas. I have heard of school children being kept at home for weeks because they had been smitten by "Litre." The cure for the eruption is a poultice of the leaves of "Mayten." However, I treated the "Litre" like any other bush-forced my way through thickets of it, broke off branches, collected its seeds, and rubbed my hands with its leaves, but all without result. The explanation given was that it did not affect every one alike. Still, I believe there must be some truth in what everybody says, as in the natural order to which it belongs the Anacardiaceae-there are plants possessing very hurtful properties. It forms a dusky, handsome shrub, and in favourable situations becomes a timber tree.

Maytenus chilensis.-This is a more graceful tree than our birch. If you imagine a cross between the boxwood and the weeping willow, you will have some notion of its general appearance. It was introduced into Britain in 1829, and Loudon remarks that it would probably become a hardy shrub, but I have never seen it at home.

Quillaja saponaria, "Quillai."-This is another fine evergreen tree, with clear shining leaves, common in the central provinces. Its bark is now largely exported to France for scouring wool. The Chilenos use it instead of soap for washing the head, and some say that to it they are indebted for their luxuriant hair.

Of the Leguminosae there are 269 Chilian species, and many are of forms altogether wanting in Britain. All our native species have the papilionaceous corolla, like the pea or the broom, with the stamens united, but in the Chilian Flora there is not only this form but three others.-1st, the genus Adesmia has the papilionaceous corolla with the stamens free; 2nd, Caesalpinia, Cassia, &c., have the flowers regular, or nearly so; and 3rd, the Acacias have quite regular flowers, with an indefinite number of

stamens.

I will now name a few of the Leguminosae:

Balsamocarpon brevifolium, "Algarrobillo."-This plant grows in the northern desert, and attains the size of a gooseberry bush. The pods, which consist mostly of gum or resin, are used in tanning leather, and the peas are eaten by the Chinchilla.

Acacia cavenia, "Espino."-This is the deciduous tree already mentioned as growing in Central Chile. At one time a great part of the country was covered with impenetrable thickets of it, which have been recklessly cut down to make wood-charcoal, fences, &c. It would make excellent growing hedges, but at present the branches are cut off and set up close to each other on end, and form a good temporary fence. The wood is ornamental, but unfortunately of small size, and so fragrant are the flowers that the tree is called "Aromo as well as 66 Espino" (thorn).

Errazurizia glandulifera (Philippe, new genus). This is a pretty and peculiar-looking plant, with an incense-like fragrance. It has a trailing habit, and would be suitable for a rockery. I discovered it in the neighbourhood of Carrizal-Bajo, and Dr. Philippe named it in honour of the President of Chile, just then elected, Senor Errazuriz. Adesmia balsamica. The twigs and leaves of this plant are completely covered by a sticky, fragrant gum, from which I used to think the perfumers might get a new scent. I removed it easily by alcohol, but then I could not remove the smell of the alcohol from the gum.

Solanum elaeagnoides, "Tomatillo."-The fruit is celebrated for removing greasy stains from cloth.

Cuscuta chilensis, Dodder, "Pelo de anjeles," that is, angel's hair.—Parasitical on lucerne, &c.

Eccremocarpus scaber.-A handsome climber, now common in England. It is described by Darwin in his "Climbing Plants." Argyllia geranoides, and other species.-These plants grow in the north, and are yet unknown in Britain; at least the genus is not in Loudon's "Cyclopaedia of Plants cultivated in Britain."

Schizanthus candidus.-Many fine species of this genus are now common in this country; one of the best known is S. pinnatus.

The Verbena is common in the vicinity of Valparaiso. The Mimulus is also a native of Chile. The Heliotrope forms large bushes in some of the northern valleys.

Cordia decandra, "Carbon."-Grows in the north now only as bushes, but formerly as trees. I have been told that far inland in

the Andean valleys there are still great trees of it. The timber is very ornamental, and would be valuable to the cabinetmaker if it could be had in quantity. It flowers profusely, having beautiful white bells; but the foliage is dingy and sticky.

Of the Compositae there are 736 Chilian species, many of them woody, such as Baccharis rosmarinifolius, B. concava, Proustia pyrifolia, P. pungens, Senecio denticulatus, Flourensia thurifer.

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Mutisia. Of this genus Loudon says, "Mutisia is an exceedingly interesting genus of shrubby climbers, with leaves terminating in tendrils, by the prehension of which the stems are supported. M. latifolia represents a family of climbers so very different from every other hitherto propagated in British gardens, that we cannot but strongly recommend it for trial against every conservatory wall." Darwin says that this is the only genus in the Compositae which has tendrils.

M. latifolia is given in Loudon, but it is very inferior in beauty to M. subulata, whose flowers show like stars above the bushes. Also in this species the leaves are reduced to a line, as the name indicates, so that each seems a tendril.

Cryptocaria peumus, "Peumo.”—A very fine shrub, or tree, in favourable situations. The fruit is eaten, but smells like castor-oil.

Guivena avellana, "Avellano."-This is, I think, the finest Chilian shrub. It has clear, shining, compound leaves, resembling those of Mahonia quercifolia, and has fruits about the size of a marble, which in ripening change from green to yellow, and from yellow to red. It grows in the south, and might be easily reared in Britain. I was much pleased to see a young plant of it in the Botanic Gardens last summer.

Leontochir ovallei, "Mano de leon," (that is "lion's fore-paw," and the lion being the puma).—This is a rare plant, and, so far as I know, confined to a small district in the north. The roots, which resemble those of the dahlia, are about two feet below the surface. The head of flowers is like a peony, but unfortunately the colour is not pure.

Timber Trees.-Fitzroya, "Alerce" or Larch —so named from some resemblance to the European larch, and perhaps the most useful wood in Chile. It attains a great size and age. As many as 2000 rings of annual growth have been counted in a trunk. The wood is red, and is said neither to rot, warp, nor crack.

"Roble," meaning oak, but in reality a beech, Fagus.—The wood