TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT 29 



eradicating such diseases. The inspection and fumigation of 

 imported plants, cuttings, seeds, etc., are intimately connected 

 with this subject and are necessary in order to prevent the 

 inadvertent introduction of diseases of cultivated plants which 

 do not now occur in the Archipelago. The importance of the 

 subject is well illustrated by the coffee blight, caused by a specific 

 fungus, Hemileia vastatrix, which was introduced into the Phil- 

 ippines about twenty-five years ago, and which has practically 

 killed the cofi'ee industry in the Philippines. Now coffee in 

 great quantities is imported; before the advent of the coffee 

 blight great quantities of coffee were exported. 



Examination of diseased plants, determination of the causes 

 of the disease, and indicating methods of treatment and control 

 are a part of the routine work of this office, and such work is 

 done gratis for other bureaus, especially the Bureau of Agricul- 

 ture, and for individuals. 



38. Vegetable physiology. — Extensive investigations are in 

 progress on different phases of this broad and important subject, 

 especially in connection with the influence of external factors, 

 such as light, heat, humidity, rainfall, and wind, on the vege- 

 tation. The conclusion of the work will give us an immense 

 amount of valuable data bearing on economic problems in con- 

 nection with forestry and agriculture. 



39. Historical. — A great amount of data has been gathered 

 on the historical side of Philippine botany, on botanists who 

 have worked on the Philippine flora both locally and in Europe, 

 on regions explored, on where the collections are preserved, 

 on botanical gardens, etc. Some of the data have been published 

 in an article on the Pineda Monument — which has been entire- 

 ly destroyed — and the probable location of the first botanical 

 garden. 



40. Forest reserves. — In one forest reserve, established some 

 years ago, a very extensive study of the constituents of the for- 

 ests, of different types of vegetative "formations," etc. has been 

 completed. On another recently established reserve, that of 

 Mount Maquiling, a similar study is being carried on, but on a 

 scale even more intensive than in the first case. The foresters 

 are enabled to determine not only the constituent species, but 

 also the associations in which the species grow and factors limit- 

 ing the range of certain species. In case replanting were neces- 

 sary, the species to be selected would be at once evident. The 

 study of the Maquiling reserve will be especially helpful on ac- 

 count of the fact that the College of Agriculture, where a course 



