384 Agricultur, Geog^t'aphie, etc. — Necrologie. 



Jones, J., Report on the Botanic Station, Dominica 

 1905 — 06. (Imperial Dept. of Agriculture for the West Indies.) 



The Malayan fruit LitcJii {Nepheliuni Litchi) introduced in 

 1898 has flowered and fruited for the first time. Distribution of the 

 spineless üme has been continued and it is estimated that there are 

 now 12,000 plants in the island. The total number of economic 

 plants distributed during the year was 65,731, including large num- 

 bers of budded oranges and grafted mangoes. 



Dr. Watt's report on manurial experimentswith cacao, continued 

 over a period of four years is of especial interest, as it indicates the 

 high manurial value of a mulch of lawn cuttings, fallen leaves etc. 

 The plots so treated have given results in excess of those treated 

 with Chemical manures. The graphic summary of the experiments 

 Shows that the mulch although not so rapid in its action as the Che- 

 mical manures equalled in results the best chemical manure plot in 

 the second year, was easily first in the third year, and far exceeded all 

 the others in the fourth year. "In brief orchard cultivation in the 

 tropics appears to depend largely for its success on the proper under- 

 standing of the humus problem." Vanilla has been proved to thrive 

 from the sea level up to 2,000 feet elevation. 



CastiUoa elastica trees have been tapped and the rubber valued 

 in London at from 5'3 7^' to 5^ 9<^ per n'. 



Frentiimia elastica rubber has also been obtained, but was 

 valued at only from 2s 6<^ to 2^ 9^ per \\\. It is considered that the 

 trees were probably too young. Rubber cultivation in Dominica is 

 Said to be promising. Interest is also being taken in Para rubber 

 {Hevea brasiliensis). Theobroma pentagona (Alligator cacao) was grafted 

 on to Theobroma hicolor (Tiger cacao) but without success. On the 

 other band T. pentagona did well when grafted on to Tiger cocao 

 (Foraster s variety). 



The report contains much other matter of local and general 

 interest. W. G. Freeman. 



Magnin, A., Necrologie: L. D e bat. (Revue bryologique. 1906. p. 63.) 



Zu Lyon 1822 geboren, hat sich Louis Debat, der am 4. März 

 d. J. in seiner Vaterstadt gestorben ist, schon 1863 durch seine 

 „Flore des Muscinees de Lyon" bekannt gemacht, 1873 in zweiter 

 Auflage erschienen; dann durch seine „Flore analytique", sowie 

 durch zahlreiche kleinere bryologische Notizen in den „Annales des 

 Societes Linneenne et botanique de Lyon", der „Revue bryolo- 

 gique", etc. Indessen besitzt Ref., der etliche Jahre mit L. D. corres- 

 pondiert hat, zwei interessante Abhandlungen von ihm, welche dem 

 Verf., wie es scheint, nicht bekannt waren: Studien über die Lamellen 

 von Polytrichurn und über die Blattbildung von Fissidens. 



Geheeb (Freiburg i. Br.). 



A.usses;ehen : O April löoy. 



Verlag von Gustav Fischer in Jena. 

 Buchdruckerei A. W. Sijthoff in Leiden. 



