12 The Ohio Journal of Science [Vol. XIX, No. 1, 



plants has been formed. It is very evident that the greater 

 part of this vegetation has become established from roots 

 and seeds whose vitality was not destroyed by the eruptions. 

 There are no trees; only a few charred trunks remain." They 

 will, however, soon appear for seedlings are already starting. 

 The commonest plants in the new vegetation "are the Roseau 

 grass, Heliconia, Bamboo grass, Impomcea umbellata and 

 /. cathartica, silver fern. Verbena, Vitis sicyoides, and hurricane 

 grass; also several melastomaceous and rubiaceous bushes." 

 Around the sites of former negro gardens are found sugar-cane, 

 banana, and plantain. This type of vegetation continues with 

 little change to an altitude of about 1,000 feet. "At 1,400 feet, 

 plants are scantily distributed and the growth is poor." At 

 2,000 feet, silver ferns and mosses only are seen. 'From this 

 altitude to the lower lip of the crater, approximately 2,800 feet, 

 only algae, mosses, and lichens are able to exist at present.' 

 'Around the edge of the crater, and inside for a short distance 

 down, only two mosses, {Pogonatiim tenue and Philonatus 

 tenella), a lichen which grows in distinct circular patches 

 (Stereocaulon sp.), and algse, are found.' 



On the leeward side cultivation in the devastated area has 

 been attempted only at one estate. Here, by a system of deep 

 tillage and by utilizing large quantities of the pigeon pea and 

 native weeds as green dressings, fair crops have been produced. 

 These lands were covered with about 12 inches of ash, but this 

 had been partly converted into soil by the large growth of native 

 plants of the previous three or four years. "It still requires, 

 however, very heavy applications of manure and organic 

 matter to make it capable of producing average crops." But 

 on the windward side a considerable portion of the broad plain 

 is under cultivation in sugar-cane, cotton, arrowroot, pigeon peas 

 and other crops. ^ In this section scarcely anything remains 

 to indicate that the whole district was a waste of ashes and 

 cinders less than ten years ago. 



In order to test the effect of the ash on plants, experimental 

 plots of sugar-cane, arrowroot, sweet potatoes and ground nuts 

 were started in the ash alone and in mixtures of ash and soil. 

 These showed plainly "that the ash in itself could not support 

 plant life — not a single crop could be successfully grown in it — ■ 

 but no sooner was a certain proportion of old soil mixed with it, 

 or the plants were placed in the old soil, than crops, in some 



