»rr^: ftoclts, and planting new. They never deftroy their vineplants; that is, they do not let them run up to any height, but cut them down low, and' generally furround their vineyards and fruit-trees with hedges, in order to ihelter them the better from the wind. A fmall fpecies o f cur- culio in particular, did infinite damage to the vine-buds, and the tender leaves. They were therefore very bufy in plucking this infedt from the plant as foon as ever it appeared, and as foon as they could poffibly get at i t ; the only means yet known o f preventing the ravages of this creature. As fummer was now approaching, the exacum and the * gentiana exacoides began to cover the ground with yellow patches; and many forts of ihrubs of the extenfive genus of afpalathus, came out by degrees with their yellow blof- fqms. But the protea argentea, or the filver-tree, as it is called, exhibited the whole year throughout its glofly white, or filver gray leaves. This tree has at firft a very uncommon, and indeed beautiful appearance. I am of opinion, however, that we ihould not chufe to change for it our delightful afpen-groves. The filver-tree fcarcely ever grows higher than twenty feet; and i f I remember right, I have been informed, that they arrive at this height in twelve to fifteen years. But in a rich foil this tree grows twice as quick, and is the largeft of all the. protea kind.. One or two of them are found planted near fome o f the farms; but we feldom meet with any that have grown wild o f them- felves in thefe parts, though a little grove o f them is feen * Now the febcea exacoides. near near Confiantia. For this realbn it has been fuppofed, that *77?- the filver-tree was traniplanted hither from the beginning; yet no one has been able to inform me from what place it firft came: probably it was brought from the borders of Anamaqua\ fori now travelled over the whole north-eaft fide of Hottentots Holland, without finding it either in its wild ftate or planted. In the mean while, as it is the largeft of all the proteas, and indeed almoft o f all the trees indiginous at the Cape, it is remarkable, that together with fome others it has not attradled the attention of government to the planting of it, efpecially as they cannot he ignorant that the confumption o f wood ftores, as well for the ufe of theihips as that of the town, daily increafes fafter than they can be fupplied by their refources. It is chiefly from the level ground near the fliore, that the company at prefent fetches its wood, which confifts chiefly of two fmall and crooked forts of protea. That wood is dear at the Cape, may be concluded, from the circumftance o f private perfons rather finding their account in getting it from the mountains by means o f Haves; though it takes up one of thefe a whole day to get a moderate load of ihrubs and dry branches of trees, the value of which is generally the fourth part of a rixdollar. And indeed it is fo far fortunate for the Dutch in a place fo bare o f wood, that a fire is not wanted in this country, excepting for drefiing o f victuals, lighting their pipes, and the women’s ftoves. Alphen, or the farm where I pafled this fummer, was on the fouthern fide of Table-Mountain, about a mile and a half from the foot o f it. This mountain feems here, as well as at Table-Bay, level at the top, though there ft Vo l ’ L F . has
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