soils; while othrrs do vei\y well on heavy soils. Some do as well 

 in the Tropics, as in the temperate regions, while others succumb 

 at once in the hot countries. Thus it may be readily seen that the 

 prospective gardener in the Tropics can have failure after failure 

 by the choice of races unsuited for his season and location, although 

 the same races may be the most highly recommended for another 

 country. 



This is not only true for beans, but for all other crops. The 

 solution of the difficulty is very simple, so simple in fact that the 

 less progressive countries never give it the attention needed to 

 sfecure the most certain results in the shortest time possible. This 

 work in its simplest phase may all be included under the general 

 head of ucclimatimtion. It is work full of the keenest interest, 

 and pregnant with great economic possibilities. Planters and 

 other public-siurited citizens have often not been content to await 

 the laboured and usually long delayed action of government, 

 although this is a natural government-function beyond the means 

 of most private individuals. So we find acclimatisation societies 

 scattered through the tro])ics and newer countries, which accomplish 

 not a little by united effort and themselves ]n-ofit by what is accom- 

 plished. 



To accomplisli the most definite and conclusive results, ac- 

 climatisation M'ork must be thoroughly comprehensive; that is to 

 say all varieties in tlie trade must be thoroughly tested on all kinds 

 of soil, in all seasons, by all methods of culture, and in all parts 

 of the country. The very variety which the experimenter over- 

 looked, might be the very one to give the greatest success of all. 

 A variety discarded as useless in a valley-plain has, in known cases, 

 proved to be the greatest success in a near-by hill area. A variety 

 neither specially well-known iior highly recommended in the country 

 of its origin, has been found to give far better results under new 

 conditions than some other varieties very highly recommended. 

 Therefore if we are to determine the best bean-varieties for a new 

 country, we must first obtain generous samples of absolutely all 

 the varieties in the trade of Europe and of America, with special 

 care to secure all of the varieties grown in the warmer parts of 

 these regions. This will bring us into touch with such great seed- 

 houses as Sutton in England, Vilmorin in France, Sbortum, Burpee 

 and Henderson in America. With abundant stocks in hand it then 

 becomes a matter of good head-tiuarters facilities, wide co-operation 

 and scientific exactness in the arrangement and control of all the 

 work, and in the recording and dissemination of results. This says 

 nothing of plant-breeding work, which naturally follows acclimatisa- 

 tion, and which is also full of the greatest economic possibilities. 



It became possible in September, 1.917, to put into operation 

 a small preliminary series of acclimatisation trials in the Economic 

 Garden in Singapore. Mo,st countries involved in the Great War 

 have been concentrating all possible energy on stimulating active 

 interest in food crops ; and an active and effective campaign in this 

 direction possibly would not have cost the Government of the Settle- 

 ments nearly so much as War allowances entail, such as have their 



