223 



Jamaica, Trinidad, and Barbados canes presented the same appearance) 

 all being equally affected. 



The subject of the universal presence of this fungus was, I lind, 

 discussed by Dr. Watts at the Agricultural Conference, 1901, as 

 recorded in West Indian Bulletin, Vol. 2, p. h't. 



In the Jamaica Court were plants of growing canes, standing 

 almost in contact with the cut canes, which were not visibly affected. 



The fact of its occurrence at the Crystal Palace is placed on 

 record here, as a small contribution to the history of this disease. 



723. -A NOTE ON COTTON. 



Cotton plants, raised from seed obtained from the West Indies, 

 were cultivated at the Chelsea Physic Garden as long ago as 1732. 

 From these specimens the species Gqssypiwm hirsutum was originally 

 described by Linnaeus. 



A supply of seeds from these plants was later sent to the United 

 States, and there is reason to suppose that the stock of American 

 Upland Cotton was, to some extent, originally derived from the 

 West Indies via the Chelsea Physic Garden. 



724.-" WET CACAO" AND "DRY CACAO." 



By "wet" cacao, is meant the beans freshly taken from the pods — 

 and by " dry" cacao is meant cacao ready for the market. It being 

 found desirable to have authentic data on hand from which a fair 

 estimate can be obtained of the amount of marketable produce it is 

 possible to obtain from any given weight of fresh or wet cacao, an 

 experiment has been started at River estate for this purpose, and the 

 returns of the first trial are now to hand. 



A picking of 11 barrels of wet cacao weighed when 



brought in ... ... ... ... 2,600 lbs. 



(a.) The loss during fermentation was 15*5 per 

 cent, or 403 lbs. 



(b.) The loss of weight in drying after fermen- 

 tation was 54"44 per cent, or 1,195 lbs. 



(c.) The total loss during drying and fermenta- 

 tion 61-46 per cent, or 1,598 lbs. ... 1,598 lbs. 



Marketable cacao produced ... 1,002 lbs. 



Further trials will be made, as it is evident the gross weight of 

 "wet" or "dry" cacao will vary with seasons. 



It is thought however that four trials will be sufficient to obtain 

 a fairly good average which will be of value for calculations in 

 Trinidad, but it is not clear that these would admit of comparison 

 being made, with the crops of other countries or of other estates in 

 Trinidad. 



