94 Scientific Intelligence. 



The new spring plantings of experimental canes came up regu- 

 lar and healthy and are growing well. The varieties of which 

 we had bat one or two stock plants have been divided np and 

 transplanted with the rest of the collection, thus bringing all of 

 the experimental canes together in one patch. Since the arrival 

 of the wet weather, what appeared to be " Sereh " or Fan dis- 

 ease on one or two of our Java canes has disappeared, the ianlike 

 appearance being nothing more than stunted growth. Several, 

 however, which showed a lack of chlorophyl in the leaves and 

 were sickly in the roots (probably through weakness) have not 

 grown out of it and will be destroyed as a preventive. 



Careful observation among the cane in the field has not brought 

 to light disease of any kind; several plants which had "Rind 

 Fungus " on the dead stock during the early spring and which 

 were marked by us, upon careful examination fail to show traces 

 of any disease in the young canes. They are perfectly healthy 

 and vigorous, which I believe conclusively indicates that the 

 Rind-disease fungus takes possession of dead tissues in exhausted 

 or dead canes when of no further use to the plant. 



On December 4, I cross-hybridized Red Spanish and Cuban 

 Queen pineapples; on May 18, when the fruit ripened, I found 

 that not one had perfected any seed. This may be due to the 

 dry season, and I shall experiment further during the wet season 

 when flowers again begin to open. We have disbudded a large 

 per cent of the Cuban Queen pineapples and a great improvement 

 is discernible. The fruits grow larger and mature more rapidly, 

 the flavor is improved and the tissue is softer. This variety 

 usually produces ten to twenty shoots around the base of the 

 fruit, which continue to grow and rob them of the sap essential 

 to their proper perfection. Where disbudding is not resorted to 

 (at least in the winter crop) they take a much longer time to 

 ripen, and they lack flavor. 



Colacasia antiquorum, known here under the name of " Mal- 

 anga" or Tania, is one of the principal articles of food. It is 

 boiled in a similar way to sweet potatoes or " Bonata " and much 

 preferred to it. There are three distinctly marked varieties. 

 The type has dull glaucous green leaves and stems somewhat 

 tinged with purple, and the leaves are rather sharply defined. 

 This is the one commonly cultivated in this vicinity. It is rather 

 insipid in flavor and does not multiply very quickly in the field. 

 The Castilian Malanga, Colocasia antiquorum var. esculentum, 

 is identical with our northern Caladium esculentum; it is of a 

 yellowish color, has a sweetish flavor when cooked, and is much 

 preferred by the laborers. The plant is a stronger and more 

 rapid grower, the leaves are large, irregular, pale green, scarcely 

 glaucous, and the leaf stock is only faintly glaucous. It pro- 

 duces from one-third to one-half more " bulblets " per annum. 

 After giving these two varieties a fair trial I am convinced that 

 the old type can be gradually discarded in favor of this one, and 

 have set out about five thousand in the soltadera for the coming 



