338 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 194 5 



Zone where they were taken to the Plant Introduction Gardens at 

 Summit. On examination it was found that all the plants were 

 dead, that they contained large numbers of active nematodes, and 

 that there were indications of root borers. On being advised of 

 the condition of this shipment, the United Fruit Co. issued instruc- 

 tions that no further abaca plant material from the Philippines 

 would be received, and that they would not be in a position to 

 conduct any further experiments with abaca. 



INTRODUCTION OF 1924 



In view of these circumstances it was considered inadvisable to 

 attempt for the time being any more direct shipments of abaca 

 plant material from the Philippines to the Canal Zone or Panama. 

 It was thought, however, that a few small sucker plants might be 

 brought to the United States and grown in the greenhouses of 

 the Department of Agriculture at Glenn Dale, Md. In May 1924, 

 about 25 small abaca suckers were collected in Albay Province, in 

 the southern part of the Island of Luzon, brought to Manila, and 

 shipped from Manila to Seattle, where they were disinfected at the 

 plant quarantine station, repacked, and forwarded to Washington. 

 The few plants that were still alive when they finally reached Wash- 

 ington ultimately died. 



INTRODUCTION OF 1925 



Although these experiences were somewhat discouraging, it was still 

 believed that it was entirely practicable to obtain in the Philippine 

 Islands "clean" abaca planting material, and to ship this material to 

 Panama if direct transportation from Davao to the Canal Zone could 

 be obtained and if arrangements could be made for the handling of this 

 material after its arrival. During the latter part of 1924 it was learned 

 that a plant pathologist of the United Fruit Co., who was familiar with 

 conditions both in the Philippines and in Panama, would visit the 

 Philippine Islands early in 1925 for the purpose of collecting banana 

 plants for shipment to Panama. It was suggested that abaca plant 

 material be collected and prepared under the supervision of this path- 

 ologist, and that a second attempt be made to make a direct shipment of 

 abaci, plants from the Philippines to the Canal Zone and Panama. 

 This suggestion having been approved, preliminary arrangements for 

 carrying out this project were than made in Washington. As the 

 abaca varieties in Davao are considered to be superior to the varieties 

 found in the northern provinces, and as this province was free, or rela- 

 tively free, of abaca diseases at that time, it was planned to obtain in 

 Davao the abaca plants for Panama. 



