ToL. III. No. 



THE AGEICULTURAL NEWS. 



205 



>§^ia5=t3 



EEyiGE FATIIOLOGISCHE EX PIIYSIOLO- 

 aiSCUE WAARXEMIXGEN OVER KOFFIE : door 

 Prof. Dr. A. Ziimnermann. Batavia : G. Kolff Ji; Co., JIOO4. 



This book gives a very complete account of the di.sease.s 

 •of coffee, ba.sed ui)on tlie author's observations while in .Java. 



The most important insect pest described is Peutatoma 

 pUhejit, a sucking insect that attacks leaf and stem. Full 

 accounts are given of the disease phenomena, of the 

 entomological study of the insect and of the anatomical 

 investigation of the injuries caused by its attack. The 

 other insect pests described are a few bugs, all \vith the 

 .same habit of feeding as Pmtatoma phheja and all caasing 

 similar injury. 



A full account is given of the fungoid disease caused by 

 Ilemileia vastatn'r, which has done so much damage in 

 cofl'ee plantations in Ceylon and elsewhere. The disease 

 attacks the leaves principally. 



Other leaf diseases described include those caused by 

 Gloeaq-iorium Coffeamiin, Coniothi/rium Coffeae, Collttotfi- 

 iihuiii incaiiiiitum, Cercospom Coffticola, etc. In each case 

 a full account is given of the fungus and of the disease 

 phenomena. 



A number of stem diseases are also described and 

 figured. Among these is the disease caused by a Basidiomy- 

 cete, Corticium Javaniaim, one caused by JVecatiir decreius, 

 first noticed by Kidley in the >Straits Settlements, and a 

 disease known as the 'scheurziekte ' (splitting disease) which 

 produces cracks in the stem. 



A brown root disease apparently caused by a hitherto 

 undescribed fungus, Sporotrichuia radicicoliim, is des- 

 cribed, as also two other root diseases, the ' spleetziekte ' of 

 Cqfea Ulierica and a white root disease of the same varietj'. 



Quite a number of fungi are described as attacking 

 coffee berries, among them being Ilemileia vastatrix, mention- 

 ed above, Pestalozzia Coffeae, Corticium javanicum, etc. 



The book concludes with some chapters on various 

 morphological and physiological peculiarities and abnormali- 

 ties of the coffee plant. 



The publication is well illustrated both Ijy numerous 

 text figures and by four plates. 



A RESEARCH ON THE EUCALYPTS, especially 

 in regard to their Essential Oils: by R. T. Baker, F.L.S. 

 (Curator and Economic Botanist), and H. G. Smith, F.C.S. 

 (Assistant Curator and Chemist). Published hy atdhority 

 of the Government of the State of New South Wedes, Sydneii 

 1902. Price 15s. ' 



It is a difficult matter in a short review to give any 

 idea of the varied and important contents of a work like 

 this, which is practically an Encyclopedia of the Eucalypts 

 •of New South Wales. Of 120 species described for that 

 «tate, 1 1 1 have been investigated by the authors. 



The book opens with an accoimt of the classification 

 adopted. The characters used in determining the species 

 are — the field characters of the trees, the characters 



of the barks and timbers, the moi'phology of the fruits, 

 leaves, buds, etc., and the chemical properties and physical 

 characters of the oils, dyes, kino.s, etc. Previous classifica- 

 tions had been based upon purely morphological fe;itures, 

 and this has led to great confusion in recognizing Eucalypts, 

 many of the species appearing to show great variation. 

 According to the authors' investigations, .species founded on 

 the characters given above are quite constant and can easily 

 be recognized. 



Following this there is a chapter on the probable 

 evolution of the Eucalypts as revealed by this natural system 

 of classification. 



The main body of the work is occupied with a descrip- 

 tion of the 111 .species and their essential oils, the sequence 

 of the species being based on both botanical and chemical 

 results. The genus is divided into seven groups according 

 to the characters of the oils. Group I, for instance, contains 

 those ' Eucalypts which give an oil consisting largely of 

 piuene, -nithout phellandrene, and in which eucalyptol i.s 

 almost or quite absent.' Group IV, again, contains those 

 ' Eucalypts which yield an oil consisting largely of eucalyp- 

 tol, pinene and aromadendral, but in which the eucalyptol 

 does not exceed 30 per cent., phellandrene is absent.' 



The description of each species includes an account of 

 the botanical characters of the plant, notes on the characters 

 of the timber, the habitat, remarks on any points of interest 

 connected with the species or its products, and an account, 

 physical and chemical, of the essential oil. 



Next we get a thorough chemical and physical account 

 of each of the various constituents of the different Eucalypt 

 oils. ^ These include eudesnol, aromadendral, eudesmic acid 

 and its amyl ester, piperitone, pinenes, etc. Some of these 

 substances have been isolated by the authors for the first 

 time. 



Another interesting chapter is that on the ' Extraction 

 of Eucalyptus Oil in Australia.' Accounts are given of 

 different kinds of machinery used for extracting the oil. Thi.s 

 chapter is illustrated by a number of very fine plates, 

 reproduced from photographs. 



To anyone who is at all interested in this very useful 

 and ornamental group of plants, this work may thoroughly 

 be recommended as containing all the information he i.s 

 likely to be in want of. 



AGRICULTURAL SHOWS. 



British Guiana. 



The Demerara Daily Chronicle of June 1 con- 

 tains a full report of the Agricultural Show held at 

 Belfield on May 23, of which the following i,s a brief 

 summary : — 



The weather was very unfavourable, but the exhibition 

 disclosed a decided improvement in the quality of the 

 exhibits as compared with the previous show. 



Specimens were exhibited by the Board of Agriculture 

 for the guidance of competitors, and these made a very good 

 disislay. 



In the fruit section, the grapes were of good quality and 

 size, die oranges were poor; but there were satisfactory 

 exhibits of sapodillas, water melons, mangos and citrus fruits 

 other than oranges. 



Among the vegetiibles there was a good exhibit of 

 onions from Carlton Hall plantation. 



An improvement was noticed in the poultry class, the 

 exhibits in this class being decidedly good. 



