October 8, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



495 



The Versailles produces fruit fully as large as the Cherry, 

 and, I think, sometimes a little better in quality and more of 

 it. Occasionally it carries too much blind wood, and thus 

 demonstrates its nearness of kin to the Cherry ; but this is not 

 a serious fault. 



The Fay Currant is much more productive than the others ; 

 the fruit is quite as large, and the quality is no way inferior. It 

 has the fault, however, of a procumbent tendency. The plants 

 seem determined to develop a trailing habit, very different 

 from that of the erect Versailles. Many of the shoots starting 

 from the base of the plant will run out on the ground and 

 curve up their ends a few inches high, a habit which I dislike 

 very much ; and yet I shall set more of them. Of late years 

 we have seldom secured full and perfect clusters of this fruit, 

 because the unfavorable weather at the time of blooming, or 

 some other cause, has prevented the later blossoms from set- 

 ting. The clusters, therefore, are only about half as long as 

 nature intended them to be. But after all, the Fay seems a 

 great step forward in the development of this fruit, although 

 the ideal Currant has not yet been produced. 



MontcUir, N. J. E. Williams. 



Recent Publications. 



A recent issue of the Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information 

 issued by the authorities of the Royal Gardens, Kew, contains 

 an important paper upon the Fibre Industry at the Bahamas. 

 It appears from a report of the United States Consul at 

 Nassau, reproduced in the Bulletin, that the progress made in 

 the development of Sisal culture (Sisal hemp being the pro- 

 duct of a species of Agave — A. rigida, var. Sisaliana) during 

 the past twelve months has been marvelous. A year ago 

 there was scarcely a dollar of foreign capital, and very little 

 local capital, invested in this business in the Bahamas, while 

 to-day capitalists from Great Britain, Canada and Newfound- 

 land are buying up Government land by thousands of acres, 

 and are setting to work industriously in clearing and planting 

 as fast as they are able to procure plants for the purpose. 

 Mr. McLain, our Consul, vvritingon theaoth of January last.re- 

 ports : 



" Small shipments of fibre continue to be made by nearly 

 every steamer, a few old plantings furnishing the material. It 

 is not likely that shipments in any quantity will be possible 

 under two years, but after that time an enormous increase 

 may begin to be looked for, increasing steadily as new fields 

 come into bearing, until the annual exports of the colony, 

 which now average about $600,000, will leap well up into the 

 millions, as a moment's reflection will show. 



" It is a very low estimate to expect half a ton of fibre per 

 acre, and a very low estimate to call it worth $100 per ton, for 

 it is worth over $200 per ton in the world's markets to-day. 

 When even the present quantity of land sold and applied 

 for, to wit, 300,000 acres, is bearing, which ought to happen 

 within five or six years, it will produce 150,000 tons a year, 

 worth $15,000,000, an increase of prosperity that sounds more 

 like a fairy tale than a strong probability deduced from 

 reasonable figures. And yet 300,000 acres is but a small 

 portion of the uncultivated lands within the limits of the 

 Bahamas. 



" It is estimated that about 6,000 acres of land have already 

 been planted in Sisal (a plantation once started needs no re- 

 planting for many years), and that many additional ones have 

 been cleared and made ready for the plants, the obtaining of 

 which has been almost impossible, the industry beingseriously 

 retarded thereby. The prices paid for plants have risen from 

 six cents per dozen to thirty-six cents, so great has been the 

 demand ; but the price will now decline rapidly since the sup- 

 ply of plants is developing enormously, about 2,000,000 being 

 now available for planting and others coming on speedily. 



" The Pita plant is being found on all the islands growing 

 wild, and the stock of old plants is very great. From the 

 centre of the old plant rises a pole about sixteen feet in length, 

 on the branches of which small plants grow, averaging a 

 thousand to each pole, and from these poles a vast supply is 

 coming into market, creating a profitable business ; for what 

 were two years ago only noxious weeds have all at once be- 

 come worth $20 apiece for pole plants alone. Quantities of 

 old plants have lately been discovered growing on the keys 

 along the Florida coast, and small schooners are already buy- 

 ing these up and bringing them here for sale. This fact 

 suggests the question whether this new hemp industry, which 

 is about to revolutionize the condition of the Bahamas, mav 

 not also be developed in the southern portion of Florida. The 

 plants are found there growing wild just as they are in these 

 islands, and they flourish best in dry, sandy soils fit for little 



else. I would earnestly call the attention of the Department 

 of Agriculture to this matter, and suggest the propriety of 

 looking into it, and of calling the notice of the people of 

 Florida to this possible source of wealth and prosperity. The 

 conditions of soil, climate, etc., which make its culture a suc- 

 cess here, may not obtain there, but the simple fact that the 

 plant is growing wild in Florida is of itself a consideration 

 that should warrant an investigation at the hands of the De- 

 partment 



"There can be no doubt or question as to the success of 

 Sisal culture in this colony. It has passed far beyond the ex- 

 perimental stage, and is giving daily evidence that it will be- 

 come a source of wealth to all concerned. The combined 

 conditions of soil and climate especially adapted to the growth 

 of first-class fibre give this colony a marked advantage over 

 other West Indian islands, where the plant may grow luxu- 

 riantly enough, but will be found deficient in good strong fibre. 

 The poorer and more sterile the soil the better the result, and 

 here the plant flourishes where ordinary vegetation seems 

 almost impossible. It is a plant of unfailing growth, it will 

 live without rain to moisten the soil, you can scarcely extermi- 

 nate it if you try, it requires but little cultivation, and at an ex- 

 pense below that of almost any other agricultural product, and 

 its value is substantial. 



"As two-thirds of the trade of the Bahamas is now with the 

 United States ; as their only steam communication with the 

 outside world is by a subsidized line of American steam- 

 ships running between Nassau and New York ; as their 

 increased wealth and prosperity means a larger and more 

 profitable commercial intercourse with our own countrv, we 

 should view this coming development of their material inter- 

 ests with pleasure, and with the warmest wishes for its com- 

 plete success." 



Meetings of Societies. 



Horticulture in New Jersey. 



THE fifteenth anniversary meeting of the New Jersey Horti- 

 ■*■ cultural Society at New Brunswick last week gave 

 occasion for a brief review of the Society's work and history 

 by Secretary Williams, from which it appeared that the horticul- 

 ture, and especially the fruit production of the state, owe much of 

 their prosperity to the educating influence of this organization. 

 Members of this society have been among the first to make 

 practical use of scientific discoveries in the study of possible 

 remedies for plant diseases and the ravages of insects ; some 

 of them have won honorable distinction. On one of the tables 

 there was an exhibition of pears by Mr. White which bore 

 witness to the efficacy of modern treatment against Fungi. 

 One tree which had been left unsprayed lost all its fruit and 

 foliage by Fungus (Entomosporium macitlatum), while on the 

 trees treated the fruit and foliage was nearly perfect, and thev 

 would probably have been quite so if the spraying had not been 

 discontinued so early. These fruits were an object-lesson to 

 all, and they showed the great advance that has been made in 

 spraying compounds and machines. 



The only incident that marred the pleasure of the meeting 

 was the resignation of Secretary Williams, who during the en- 

 tire life of the Society has labored with untiring zeal for its ad- 

 vancement. The continued ill health of Mr. Williams has 

 compelled him to take this step. The regret at his determi- 

 nation was unanimous, and the resignation was referred to the 

 Executive Committee in the hope that when the time for the 

 annual meeting came round in December his health may be 

 sufficiently improved to warrant his remaining in the service. 

 There are few men in the country whose influence has been 

 more widely felt in the direction of improved horticulture and 

 none whose retirement would be more lamented by the horti- 

 culturists of the country. Mr. Williams is a man of singularly 

 pure and honest purpose, and he has no superiors in practical 

 knowledge of the particular branches to which his attention 

 has been directed. 

 Newark, N.J. J. 



Notes. 



"Primula obconica poisonous" has so frequently been the 

 heading of articles in many horticultural journals, foreign as 

 well as American, that the irritating qualities of the plant may 

 now be considered proved beyond a doubt. 



A very beautiful colored plate of Shortia galacifolia was 

 issued with Tin- Garden for August 30th, accompanied by 

 an abstract of its romantic history, drawn from the longer 

 account which was published in GARDEN and FOREST nearly 

 two years ago. 



