112 
Forests and Gardens at Mauritius, correspondence and specimens 
bearing upon a disease — has "—— amongst vanilla plants a£ 
the Seychelles. 
2. Specimens of diseased vanilla pods were received here from Mr. 
E. H. Edwards, a planter at the Seyehelles, with a letter dated the 
10th May 1887, and ext Cie May) we were addressed on 
the same Lene t by Messrs. Wright, Layman, and Umney, bie 
ruggists in the City, wo (HM oe correspondence received by them 
from the Bércheltos. Recently (September i0th) we received from the 
Director of Forests and Gardens at Mauritius specimens of vanilla 
obtained from the Seychelles with insects upon them, These latter 
were supposed to be in some way connected with the disease. 
3. The vanilla dq: is well kno o be a staple industry of 
the Seychelles, and Mr. Thise dallon Dyer 4 fully. shares the opinion that 
anything affecting its e and welfare is a matter of deep 
importance to the inhabita 
4. After a careful ener of the circumstances as so far 
presented to him Mr. Thiselton- Dyer is of the opinion that the cause 
of the disease is to be sought not in any insect or fungoid pest but in 
the situation and nature of the soil and drainage, 
Mr. Scott, the Assistant Director of the Gardens at Mauritius, appears 
to have arrived at the same conc usion. e states in a letter (received 
here 2nd May 1887), “In my opinion there is no disease. The 
em are , only exhausted from VETUS hd bad drainage, want of 
S. i 
Mauritius proved to be mites The and in the opinion of an officer 
of the British Museum ( Natural History), to whom they were submitted, 
“it does not seem probable that they are the cause of the disease.” 
6. The investigation of a disease of this kind can only be satisfactorily 
pursued on the spot and after observations have been continued during 
one rte season; but the information at present available points 
to ques tions of drainage "d shade, which are matters well within reach — 
I have, &c. 
The Hon. R. H. Meade, C. B. (Signed) D. Morris. 
Colonial Office. 

Roya Garpens, Kew, to COLONIA OFFICE. 
Royal Gardens, A i 
Sm, November 23, 1887. 
WITH reference to my letter of the 27th Üciobi on d subject 
of the disease of vanilla pods at the Seychelles, I am desired -by 
Thiselton-Dyer to forward the enclosed copy of a letter received from 
Mr. e Massee, to Mie diseased vanilla pods received in May las 
2. It appears after careful j inquiry that Mr. Massee has detected in - 
betor a parasitic n fn belonging to the genus Peronos PE Be 
ore he can arrive at any practical conclusion it is necessary to le rt ailed S 
