4 2 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE CHAP. 



of the same kind growing in a bad situation, and under 

 disadvantageous surroundings, will be poor, sickly, stunted 

 and nearly or altogether barren. Now the aim of the agri- 

 Importance culturist is to produce healthy and vigorous plants which 

 ofgoodseed. w j]i give him good crops, and one of the first things neces- 

 sary to ensure that end, after he is satisfied that the soil and 

 climate are suitable, is to select good seeds. In setting a fowl, 

 no one would select the smallest and worst looking eggs, 

 and then expect to get a fine brood of big chickens, and, in 

 the same way, no sensible planter ought to expect to get 

 strong and prolific plants from bad seed. In selecting the 

 Seeds to be seed, it must be obtained from the healthiest plants, because 

 healthiest 1116 a robust parent is likely to have a progeny with similar 

 plants, characteristics, for the same laws of nature operate as well 

 and largest ^ n tne Vegetable as in the Animal Kingdom. The seed, 

 selected Seed tnen > must be chosen from the best plants, and the largest 

 and best seed should be selected from these plants. In this 

 Improve- wa Yj the planter will ensure a large proportion of fine seed- 

 !S f ^ n S s ' anc * if tne same process of selection be carried on 

 for a series of years, there is every chance that our West 

 India fruits, &c., will be greatly improved. Too little 

 attention has hitherto been directed to these important 

 matters, and this fact accounts for the comparatively in- 

 ferior fruits that are found in these countries. 



PROPAGATION BY BULBS AND TUBERS. Bulbs and tubers 

 may appear on plants either above or below the ground. In 

 Yam tubers, some yams both kinds are found in the same plant. If 

 yams were left in the ground they would give off tubers and 

 then the parent plant would die. Afterwards the tubers 

 would grow up and form a collection of plants in the same 

 place. But as these plants would be too crowded to thrive, 

 some would die, and thus the plants would be propagated 

 by nature to a certain extent only. Man steps in, however, 

 and separates the tubers, and by placing them all under 

 favourable conditions he is able by artificial methods to 



