442 
Mr. E. H. Wilson. The plant flowered and fruited with 
Messrs. Veitch in 1908, and provided the material from which the 
plate has been prepared. 
Agriculture in St. Lucia—The Report on the Agricultural 
Department, St. Lucia, for 1911-12, which has recently reached us, 
contains evidence of considerable agricultural activity and progress 
in the Island. The Botanic Station has now been in existence for 
twenty-five years. Efforts for the improvement of the Station are 
being continued, but owing to its unfavourable situation, progress is 
necessarily difficult and slow. 
It is of interest to notice that Fagraea zeylanica, sent from Kew 
in 1905, flowered and fruited in June, 1911. It has developed into 
a tree of shrubby habit and is considered to be a desirable garden 
plant. 
Sugar, Cacao, and Limes are the main cultural products, ani 
interest in the latter appears to be steadily increasing. 
he system of training for the Agricultural Pupils has been 
re-organised and they are now to be trained at the Botanic Station. 
The arrangements in St. Lucia will apparently be on lines similar 
to those which are being carried out with success in Dominica. 
British Violets.*—Mrs. Gregory’s book is the outcome of more 
than a quarter of a century’s study of the British violets in the 
field, the herbarium, and under cultivation. Twelve species of 
true violet are recognised for Britain, as compared with eight in 
Babington’s Manual, ed. 9, the additional ones being Viola calcarea, 
Gregory, V. epipsila, Ledeb., V. lactea, Smith and V. montana, 
Linn. The arrangement of the species follows that of Borbis in 
the third edition of Koch’s Synopsis in its general lines. Special 
attention has been paid to the varieties and forms, of which no 
fewer than 46 are recognised, in addition to hybrids and supposed 
ybrids, 
The value of the work would have been enhanced for those 
possessing only a superficial knowledge of the genus by the addition 
of a key to the species, but its absence is compensated for to some 
extent by the italicising of the more important characters in the 
descriptions. 
_The book is a noteworthy contribution to the literature of a 
difficult genus, and will be indispensable to those attempting to 
acquire a critical knowledge of the British forms. 
T. A. 8. 
* British Violets, a monograph, by M i i i 
; ‘ ‘ h, by Mrs. E. 8. Gregory, with an introduction 
by G. Claridge Druce. Cambridge. W. Helfer & Sons, Lid. 1912.  8vo. 
pp. 23 and 108, pl. 4, numerous full-page and smaller text figs. 68. net. 
