ooh 
the Bambarra Ground-nut or Round Single-seeded Earth Pea 
(Voandzeia subterranea), the Pigeon or Congo Pea (Cajanus 
indicus), Soya Beans (Glycine Soja), and Ground-nuts (Arachis 
hypogaea). Of other vegetables used as food he refers to the 
Tiger-nut (Cyperus esculentus), Yams and Coco-yams, Okros, 
Spinach, Garden Eggs, Sweet Potato and the introduced Sechium 
edule and Cucurbita moschata, but though the use of vegetables 
is so general he states “ that it is by no means certain that they 
form a sufficient proportion, or that their properties are not 
largely lost in cooking.” His criticism of the few fruits in culti- 
vation and their poor variety indicates perhaps a larger field 
for improvement than in respect to any other kind of diet. In 
his conclusions he considers the relative value of introduced 
foods such as bread and comments on the surprising indifference 
to eggs and milk. The relation of the diet as a whole to deficiency 
diseases and stomach and bowel disorders so prevalent in the 
country, is discussed with the comment that ‘‘ Gold Coast diets 
are, for most individuals, not deficient in quantity, but there 
is much reason to believe that in quality, or in lack of some one 
or more essential elements, there may be tissue starvation, to 
which many of the gastro-intestinal disorders, which afflict the 
people are due.” He summarises the chief defects of the present 
diets and deplores the increasing consumption of tinned food 
which, ‘“‘ with the increasingly popular white bread, without 
admixture of local foodstuffs, would be the ruin of the people.” 
His recommendations are that ‘“‘ reliance on the country’s own 
Cereals, Maize Guinea-corn and home-grown rice, to the exclusion 
of imported polished kinds, is to be developed. Fruit and Market 
Gardening and the more abundant use of fresh vegetables should 
be inculcated. These, along with more attention to the pro- 
duction of larger quantities of poultry are to be commended in 
the interests of the people themselves, whether living on the 
land or labouring for others.” 
Spartina Townsendii at Clevedon, Somerset.*—A further 
report from Miss Ida M. Roper after a visit to Clevedon on the 
28th September of this year leaves little doubt that the experiment 
of planting Spartina as a mud-binder in the hope of raising the 
river flats below Clevedon has not proved the success that had 
been anticipated. The tidal race has proved too strong and 
although the original clumps have continued to hold out in 
some places they have been swept away elsewhere and, except 
in a few sheltered spots, failed to unite. Roper remarks 
as follows. 
“It is much to be regretted that this trial planting of Spartina 
must be considered to have become derelict. Whilst the 
individual clumps at the North East part appear this season to 
be healthy and bearing flowers well, they have not increased 
either in number or in size, and there is a broken or ragged 
* For previous accounts see Kew Bull., 1918, p. 26, and 1919, p. 391. 
