98 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



Mons. Guerin-Meneville remarked that some years ago he had 

 received from the Baron de Delmar, branches of the coffee tree 

 of Ceylon. They were decayed — but showed the black fungus 

 (Cryptogame) and numerous insects resembling the cochineal. 

 He said — as to the disease of the Olive, Avhich he had studied at 

 Villefranche, near Nice — that the attacks of insects and fungi 

 are caused by the abundant secretion on the branches of a kind 

 of sugar which attracts the insects of various species, and the 

 black disease appears there next year. 



Prof Cloynet had noticed on his domains the Malgue — used 

 lime water and cured it ; as also the white inalady on his fig trees. 



The Count de Pontenay said he had used milk of lime, mixed 

 with purin (a liquid from many manures), on potatoes early in 

 the season and the crop was sound. 



[The coffee tree, originally from Arabia, was not introduced until 

 about 1707 — first to Prance, where the botanist, Commelin, nursed 

 it in a conservatory in Amsterdam. It was placed as a curiosity 

 in the Jardin des Plantes. Reston, a lieutenant of artillery, had 

 onG and gave it to the Royal Garden. De Clieu, lieutenant of 

 the King of the Martinique, carried two of the trees there, one of 

 which died on the passage. Presh water being scarce at sea, 

 De Clieu divided his allowance of water with his little coffee and 

 planted it in his garden at Preschem. Prom this descended all 

 the coffee trees of the West Indies. Thus one seed enriches a 

 nation ! We ought to sow seeds of Mocha coffee.] 



COTTON. 



Our famous Sea Island cotton originated in the West Indies. 



SUGAR CANE. 



In 1780 the sugar cane of Otaheite, of the Pacific Ocean, was 

 introduced into the West Indies, and being better, it displaced 

 all the Creole cane before existing there, and the crop of sugar 

 doubled. 



SILK WORM. 



Great efforts are being made to cure them of disease. The 

 Ailanthus seems to grow in favor as feed. Yet in this country 

 the leaves of this tree are not touched by insects ! 



Silk worms are fed partly on teazle leaves, the Japan varnish 

 tree, the palma christi, some oaks, apricot, willow, chicory, let- 

 tuce, lilac, snow-ball and branch cabbage, called cavalier cabbage. 



