THE ACil! IC i: l.T LltA J. X KWS. 



May 24, lOO-J. 



Ixefen-nce was made to the tonnage of cane and the 

 «|Ha lily of .juice atinrded l)y each kind of cane, attention 

 lieiii^ directed to the great lichne.'w and high ]iurity of the 

 juice from K. 208. and 1). 95., botli of wliicli canes ;([.piMi- 

 \rr\ suitable for i.lanting in Antigua. 



The li.st of twenty-three cane.n gi\eii abo\e contains 

 many which wei'e not under trial la.st year. It is inteiestiufi 

 to remove these and to coni]>are the order of merit with the 

 order arri\ed at last year and al.so witli the order deduced 

 i'roui tlie average re.sults of three year.s' experiments : \m- thus 

 arri\e at tlie following' : - 



(>,■(!•■ 



1901-!?. 



Onhr hi H'OOI. 



Onh I- (.)! Arr-rnye of 

 ill ivr iiroix. 



1. l>. 95. 

 .«. B. 10!'. 

 ;>. Naga B. 



4. Burke. 



5. U. 10-_'. 



(i. Caledn, <^>U(.en. 

 . 7. Mt. HhiiK-. 



8. IJaj.iioe. 



9. Wt. Transi.;a-t nt. 



10. D. 115. 



11. B. 147. 



I J. 1). in;. 



].". Queens, (.'ivi.k-. 



net 



I. K. 10'.». l.D. 9.5. 



■_'. I». •>:.. 2. Mt. Blanc. 



:!. 1). lOL'. :i. Naga B. 



4. Naga B. 4. Burke. 



r.. Hurkc. 5. D. 102. 



*). Cal. Queen. 0. Bed Bibbon. 



7. Mt. Blanc. 7. Wt. Trans]iareni 



.S.D.J 15. y. Queens. Creole. 



'-'. Ka|i]ioc. !•. Caled. Queen. 



1(1. n. IIH. 10. Bajipoe. 



:l]. Ked Bibbon. II. B. 100. 



1'-'. W t. Transparent. 1-J. B. 147. 

 l:!. B. 147. ].•!. D. llti. 



14. Queen.sld. tVeole. 14. 1). 115. 



(Red Bibbon 

 grown in ItMIO). 



'I iicsc orders .s]io« \eiy fair concordance, tlic niosl 

 striking feature perhaps beijig the high position wliicb I!. l(il> 

 oi-cupies this year, a position Mr. AVatts attributed |o tin' 

 unusually hea\y raiid'all (>f the past .season. He tiierefoiv 

 urged planters to be cautiiius with rcgaid to this caiic and 

 nol l(. plant it e.KteusiNcly without fuither tiials. 



Mr. Watts .stated that the experiments with ratinoi 

 cants in .'\ntigna were not yet comjilete, but judging from 

 tlie ic-uit..- alieady obtained in St. Kitt's, he felt inslitie<l in 

 •sMwiiji that H. 20S. will be biund to iMt..oii .xitisbietniilv . 

 Ill the coiir.se of a few weeks he hoj^ed to be able to la\ 

 before the ])lanters a short account of the ratoon experiments 

 from which they may (ibtain information as to the ratooniiiu 

 (pialifies of the cams, such ;is I'.. 208., I >. 95. hihI otliei- 

 canes which are now attracting their attention. 



.Mr. Watts next exhibited specimens (if two fiingi attack 

 lug sugar-canes one, 'lliitliii'lojifi^ rtliitcilirii.-' which is rhe 

 fungus referred to as killing newly planted tops in the paper 

 |.\ Mr. Ibiward ill the IJ'oV //»//<(/, linllfliii, WA. III., pp. 

 7.'>-S(i. Tile ollii r fungus. ,\/(iinsiiuiii>, appears to lia\c been 

 Keen here freijuenlly, but hitherto we liine been unaware of 

 its dangerous dia lacier. 



( Ml conclmliiig his address .Mr. Watts was accorded a 

 liearls Note of Ihanks for bi-ingiiig the information he had 

 just given to the Society to the iioliee of tlie planters at so 

 eailv a dale. 



PARA RUBBER. 



Thi.s account of the tree yieidiiicf the Para niViber 

 of eoimiHTPt', and the cotKlitions under which it 

 grows in it.s native country is taken fr.iiii the Caidor 

 lectures on ' Plants yicifiinf( ( 'oniuiereial [ndi.i-ruhlier ' 

 delivered i)efore the .Societv "f Arts 1)\ I )v. Morris 

 in April l,S!t8: - 



J'ara rubber derives its name from the town and 

 ]irovince of that name in Brazil. It is rightly regarded a.* 

 tlie most valuable of any in commerce. The price of l'ai-:( 

 rubber practically governs that of all other rubbers. The 

 tree or trees, for probably more tlian (uie species is utilized, 

 are distributed throughout the vast region of the .\niazoii 

 \allev and adjoining areas, and occu|iy an area about 

 two-thirds the size of iMirope. The principal tree yielding- 

 I'ara rubber is the ' Seringa,' Ileicn biiisi/'oisix (syn. Sijiho- 

 iiia brasiliensis), belonging to the natural ordei Eiiphnrhiarfu,- 

 or Spurges, iiumerous members of which .secrete a milky juice. 



I''ig. 7 111: VMM o|- l'vi:\ i;rr.r.];i; Ti:i-:k. 



llctH-a liraulit'ii^is (.Miiell.) 



SlioHni'^ liifoli.-ite leaves and numerous small H,,«,-is. 'rii,» 

 female tloweis an- lari.;er and .if the ends of the spr.ivs. in 

 the biwer right hand corner is a fruit (capsule) cm open 

 to sliow the |)osition of the .sei-ds. usually tliive iii iiiimber. 

 Abo\e it is a single .seed, one half natural size. 



The tree is upright and grows to a huge size. U|i t'> 

 lit) b'ct in height, with a trunk ti to 8 feet in cinaiin- 

 b'reiice. The branches, wlicn the trees grow eloselv tos^ether, 

 ail' short : the leaves are compound and trifoliate. The 

 w liitisli-greeii Howei's are male and female in the sjiine 

 panicle, the female usually larger and terminal. The fruit 

 is a large dry capsule composed ()f three one-seeded pieces. 

 The .seeds are the size of filberts with a .shining .seed eoat 

 ma iked with black blotches : the interior substance is verv 

 oil\. ( >u this account the .seeds .soon lo.se their vitality. In 

 llie l.ouer .Viuazon \alley tlu' trees flower iii.lanuarv, and 



