lO THE PLANT WORLD. 



coffee tree will be conducted on the Hidalgo coffee fiiica, at an 

 elevation of about 3,000 feet. Many diff'erent varieties of coft'ee 

 will be planted there, the work to be under the immediate super- 

 vision of the local manager of the ft)ica. 



There is a deplorable lack of trained assistants on account of the 

 limited appropriation for that purpose, and for this reason only 

 the most important work can be taken up. Besides the regular 

 laboratory routine there is an immense correspondence to be 

 attended to, an exchange list of both seeds and publications to be 

 kept up to date, and many minor duties that require constant 

 attention if the wheels are to run smoothly. The assistants are 

 up at daybreak, or at the latest five o'clock, and out for a look 

 at their special experiments either in field or laboratory ; then 

 oft' for a ride among the rubber, which on Zacualpa covers thou- 

 sands of acres. Here notes and photographs are taken of any 

 trees under inspection — these are marked by easily recognized 

 labels — some collecting is done and then the horses are turned 

 homeward. After breakfast, and until noon, the typewriter is 

 kept busy writing up notes of the previous day and attending 

 to the correspondence. Lunch hour comes before the work is 

 half done, and from one until five o'clock all are at work in the 

 laboratorv. In the evening the director's private work is taken 

 up, or some reading done for special experiments to be started 

 the following morning. Fortunately we have a fairly good refer- 

 ence library. This has been materially increased by exchange, 

 some institutions being able to send us their entire set of pub- 

 lications. 



In connection with the station work complete meteorological 

 observations are made. These are necessary for the ecological 

 work and are also of general interest as no data of the kind have 

 heretofore been collected in this part of the tropics. In the near 

 future two substations for work of this kind will be established 

 on coft'ee fincas at different elevations in the mountains. 



As to the climate, it is neither so blistering hot nor so debili- 

 tating as manv popular books on Alexico would have us believe. 

 In almost any article on the subject one can read of the danger 

 attendant upon those who venture into this southern country, 



