A TIMELY WARNING.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1456, 16 October 1872, Page 2

A TIMELY WARNING.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE IUWKFi'S B.VY TIMES,

Sir,—lt lias occurred to me several times of late to write a few words of friendly warning to our newly-arrived Scandinavian colonists, to put them on their guard respecting the deadly nature of the poison of the fi nib of the tutu plant, fCoriaria ruscifolia J vulgarly called too% —which is now in flower, and will in less than a month begin to be in early fruit As this plant grows largely on skirts of woods, and on river sides and beds, (where, too, ii ripens its fruit more quickly,) and as its strained juice, as a drink, is most refreshing, delicious, and wholesome, and largely made use of by the New Zealauders, it is sire to be also used by them —the newly ai rived iiumigrants and that, perhaps, with avidity, from the fact of its being the first ripe and sweet fruit seen by them since they left their fatherland. I wish, therefore, through the columns of your papei, to call their best attention to the poisonous patts of the fruit, which are the many seeds, and also the stamens an I filaments of the flower, which remain attached to the fiuit when ripe : all these must be carefully strained out and thrown away ; then the sweet juice, which is really wholesome, may bo drank with im punity. A closely allied species, fCoriaria myrtifoliaj which is aNo poisonous, is a common plant in the south of Europe; but I do not. think it is found so far north as the home country of those immigrants. Therefore it is the more needful to put them early on their guard. I would beg to call the immediate attention of Messrs Halcombe and Friberg, and also of Mr Ross (surveyor), and of others—as well as the contemporary journals of the town—to the subject of this letter; as a word in season, in such a matter, may save a world of trouble and vain regret. Aage og Elsq. "Bver en Gang; Da glsedes, Og i Din Hu er glad, Da er rain Grav foriuden Omhsengt med Kosenß Blad. "Hver Gang Du Dig graeramer, Og i Din Hu er mod, Da er rain Kiste forinden Sora fuld med levret Blod." I am, &c , William Colenso. Napier, Oct. 15, 1872. +