512 Scientific Intelligence. 



Cinchona. — On the 31st of March, 1893, it was estimated that 

 the matured plants on all of the plantations might be estimated 

 at ten millions. 



Indigo. — There are in India 2,762 factories and 6,032 vats, and 

 these give employment to 356,675 persons during the working 

 season irrespective of the agricultural labor to produce the plants. 

 Last years' export of Indigo was 126,706 cwt. 



Cotton. — It appears that the cultivation of cotton has not been 

 developed on strictly scientific principles. It seems to Dr. 

 Watts that selection of seed and the cultivation of specially 

 selected plants might easily improve the Indian crop of any dis- 

 trict by 50 per cent. The total area under cultivation is 9,000,000 

 acres. 



Other Fibres. — Very little has been done in utilizing the 

 remarkable fiber plants of native origin. The most promising 

 possibilities appear in every direction. It is said that the fiber of 

 Marsdenia tenacissima is far superior to Rhea. Its tensile strength 

 is much greater than that of the finest hemp. 



Cutch. — The process of boiling down the heart wood of Acacia 

 catechu into a tanning extract, dates from remote antiquity. 

 The modern methods of manufacture, though improved in many 

 particulars are still far from economical. The export averages 

 something over 2,200,000 cwt. annually. 



Dr. Watts presents a most interesting account of the relations 

 of Indian agriculture to the plants of other countries, pointing 

 out that not far from 50 per cent of the prevalent cultivated and 

 wild vegetation has been imported by India within historic times. 



It is encouraging to note that various societies are cooperating 

 with governmental departments in developing possibilities. 



The August Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information from the 

 Royal Gardens in Kew, contains a most interesting summary 

 relating to bananas and plantains. The subject is dealt with 

 very fully, especially with regard to the economic uses. A few 

 of the statistics are here given : 



During the year 1892, 13,000,000 of bunches of ripe bananas 

 were imported into the United States. Each bunch usually con- 

 sists of 80 to 200 bananas and weighs from 30 to 90 lbs. 



Plantain meal, a food of great antiquity, has lately attracted 

 considerable attention. It appears that some of the product has 

 been made from unripe bananas. In all the samples, starch is 

 more abundant than sugar. G. l. g. 



2. Grafting. — M. Lucien Daniel (Revue generate de Bota- 

 nique, 15 Sept. 1 894) has published the results of interesting exper- 

 iments in grafting herbaceous plants, especially different vege- 

 tables. His conclusions are as follows: 



First, the flavor of vegetables can be made to vary by graft- 

 ing them on vegetables of a different flavor. 



Second, grafting flower pits at a suitable period retards the 

 flowering of Cruciierse. This delay enables us to suppress cross- 

 breeding and consequently permits us to preserve varieties pure. 



