51 
His Excellency Sir John Bates Thurston, K.C.M.G., Governor of 
the ob ree kindly forwarded to Kew in 1891 a quantity of 
Tac A 
tubers o a pinnatifi orst. This is a perennial herbaceous 
stat; it 4 berous root, yielding South-sea Arrowroot. The 
fl e greenish or wn in an umbel on the top of a leafless 
scape surrounded by an involucre of single bracts. The leaf-stalks are 
plaited into head-dresses. As a source of arrowroot the plant is of 
ea ue. The tubers when fresh resemble new potatoes, and 
value. ub 
contain a great deal of starch. Tacca arrowroot is preferable to any 
other in cases of dysentery and diarrhea. A portion of the tubers 
received at Kew was distributed to each of the Botanical Institutions at . 
Jamaica, Trinidad, and M est Africa, in order to establish so 
useful a plant in these parts of the world. Those retained for Kew 
ave now flowered (January 1891), and a figure, with iem ni is in 
course of being prepared for the Botanical Magazine 
demands received at Kew for seeds, plants, and cuttings of 
choice fruits for cultivation in the tropics show that considerable interest 
is being taken in selecting the best sorts and in cultivating them in 
a careful and systematic manner. "The assistance rende Kew in 
e mple 
their organisation for regular exchanges with kindred institutions in 
other parts of the world. During the last two years large supplies of 
cuttings of selected grape vines and figs, seeds of dates and straw- 
Rivers anid Son, at Sawbridgirorth; Herts. 
A review of the phage og of visitors at the Royal Gardens during 
recent years will prove of interest. The actual numbers for the five 
years, 1887-91, inlaat, are as follows :— 





Year. Sundays. Week. Days. Total. 
1887. - A “ : 489,483 657,220 1,146,703 
1888 - i à a 587,385 613,417 1,200,802 
1889 - * 2 és 659,800 826,256 1,486,056 
1890 - à s . 879,118 960,848 1,839,966 
189] - . i : 697,200 676,553 1,373,753 
Total  - - 8,312,986 3,734,294 7,047,280 






