Vol. IV. No. 94. 



THE AGRECULTUKAL NEWS. 



359 



SCIENCE NOTES. 



Monstera deliciosa. 



Tlie Gardeners' Chronicle mentions tliat fruits of 

 Monstera deliciosa have been on sale at Covent Garden. 

 ' We are informed that the fruits are from Portugal, and are 

 sent in small boxes which realize 12s. to l^s. per hoK. 

 They were labelled "Pine-tree fruits," possibly because the 

 flavour of the fruit has some resemblance to that of the 

 pine-apple.' 



This plant, a native of Me.xico, belongs to the same 

 natural order as the tannier.s, viz., Aroideae. It has a climb- 

 ing habit with aerial roots. The flower is surrounded by 

 a deciduous spathe. The succulent fruits are edible and 

 have a delicate flavour somewhat resembling that of the 

 pine-apple. 



Fruiting plants of Monstera deliciosa are to be seen in 

 most of the West Indian Botanic Stations into which they 

 were introduced many years ago. 



Akee Trees. 



It may be of interest to mention that the akee tree 

 (Blighia saplda) is not of very common occurrence in 

 Barbados and some of the other West India Islands. It is 

 very abundant in Jamaica, where the fruit is a very popular 

 article of diet ; in fact, salt fish and akees form one of the 

 most common breakfast dishes among all classes in that 

 island. There is a prejudice against its use on account 

 of some danger from poisoning. When, however, the fruit 

 is properly and carefully prepared, there need be no fear on 

 this account. It is considered probable that cases of poison- 

 ing have been due to eating decayed fruits. 



The akee belongs to the natural order Sapindaceae and 

 is a native of tropical AVest Africa. It is a small tree, 

 reaching a height of about 30 feet. The fruit is fleshy, of 

 a three-sided form, with a reddish-yellow colour, about 

 3 inches in length and 2 inches in w^idth; wlien ripe it splits 

 down the middle of each side, expo.sing three shining black 

 seeds, which are partly covered with a white substance 

 known as the aril. This is the edible portion of the fruit. 



The tree was introduced into the West Indies from 

 Africa by Captain BIyth. 



ECONOMIC PLANTS IN BERMUDA. 



Dr. N. L. Britten, Director of the New York 

 Botanical Garden, contributes an interesting article 

 to the garden's Journal on a visit to Bermuda in 

 September. He makes the following reference to the 

 cultivated plants of Bermuda and to the work of the 

 Botanic Gardens :— 



The exotic plants of Bermuda include a very great 

 variety of species from tropical and sub-tropical lands, most 

 of them growing luxuriantly and including many notable 

 and instructive examples. This already great variety will 

 doubtless be increased through the work of the recently 

 established experimental garden, now under the able 

 management of Mr. T. J. Harris, who brings to it, from his 

 former duties in the Department of Public Gardens and 

 Plantations of Jamaica, wide experience and critical know- 

 ledge of tropical agriculture and horticulture. The exportable 

 products of the island, now mainly potatos, onions, lily bulbs, 

 and arrowroot, will be improved and their cultivation made 

 more successful, and other elements will be added through 

 scientific experimentation and suggestion. 



AGRICULTURE IN THE STRAITS SETTLE- 

 MENTS. 



The following notes on the agricultural industries 

 of the Straits Settleuients are contained in the Anniud 

 Report on the colony for 1904 : — 



In Singapore the area under cultivation of pine-apples 

 continues to increase, and a good deal of old land, abandoned 

 since the days of gambler cultivation, has now been put 

 under pine-apples. 



A few Para rubber estates were started recently in the 

 island, but it is hardly likely that these will increase to any 

 great extent, as there is not much land suited for this 

 cultivation. In Province Wellesley and Malacca, however, 

 there is a marked increase in rubber cultivation, and still 

 more so in the Federated Malay States. The area under 

 cultivation now in the peninsula is very large and the 

 prepared rubber is in great demand by the home manufac- 

 turers, the best samples having taken the highest price ever 

 paid in 1904, viz., 6s. Ihd. per lb. An extensive series of 

 experiments was carried out last year in the Botanic Gardens 

 to discover improved methods of tapping and preparing 

 rubber. The indigo cultivation in Singapore has dwindled 

 away considerably. In fact, only a few fields are left. Very 

 few of the dyeing houses now remain. 



Cocoa-nut plantations continue to flourish in Penang 

 and Province Wellesley, where some additional hundreds of 

 acres were put under cultivation in 1901. In Singapore also 

 a small increase was observable, but several of the older 

 small plantations have been abandoned chiefly because of the 

 demand for building land. 



The cultivation of pepper in Singapore has remained 

 practically stationary. Citronella grass has increased a little. 

 The cultivation of nutmegs and cloves in Penang was norma], 

 but prices were adversely aftected by large West Indian 

 supplies. There has been a large increase in vegetable 

 cultivation. The rice and fruit crops in Malacca were both 

 good. Further attempts were made to grow cotton in the 

 colony, but it does not seem to have been really successful 

 anywhere, and is never likely to be an important product of 

 this country. Reports as to the failure of the beet crops had 

 a stimulating ett'ect on the sugar industry of Province 

 Wellesley and Perak, very remunerative prices being received 

 towards the end of the year. 



GRAFTING CACAO. 



Mr. J. Jones, Curator of the Botanic Station at 

 Dominica, has forwarded the following note in regard 

 to experiments in grafting cacao: — 



Jlention was made in the Agricultural News (Vol. IV, 

 p. 244) that the alligator cacao (Theohroma pentagona) had 

 been grafted on stocks of the tiger cacao {Theobroma bicolor) 

 at the Dominica Botanic Station. 



The grafted plants were placed out under the usual 

 conditions, but up to the present, four months after grafting, 

 no growth has been recorded on any of the plants, neither is 

 there likely to be any. I am sending one of the plants for 

 you to note the curious development of what were formerly 

 buds. It is evident that Theohroma hicolor is not suitable as 

 a stock for Theohroma pentagona and possibly other commer- 

 cial kinds of cacao. 



At the same time as the above experiment was tried, 

 shoots of Theohroma pentagona were grafted on stocks of 

 Theohroma Cacao, forastero variety. These plants are making 

 nice growth. The forastero variety will, I think, make good 

 stock on which to graft the alligator cacao. 



