229 
Arboretum of the Royal Gardens, and has brought before horticulturists 
in this count ost inm plant s that had not hitherto received 
the MEE mes deserved. Nearer home, a paper on Horticulture in 
Cornwall (K.B 1893, 7355), affords a fairly representative picture of 
the possibilities of Cornish horticulture, where, owing to the mildness 
of the climate, types of the vegetation of New Zealand “and the Himalaya 
do better even than under glass at Kew. The “cultivation of vegetables 
for market” and the possibilities of market t gardening in c at Britain 
(K.B., 1895, 307) discusses an important economic pro 
mong other horticultural subjects dealt with are the storing of 
home-grown fruit (K.B., , dl, with an illustration of a fruit room), 
and a detailed account of the prune industry in France and California. 
PLant DISEASES. 
The diseases of cultivated plants is a subject on which the aid of 
w is frequently sought on behalf of Colonial Governments by the 
Secretary of State for the Colonies. The Hei ir of fungoid. 
diseases = demands considerable time and attention on the part 
of members of the Kew staff, while those caused by insects render it 
nece: to secure the assistance of spec ualifie rts to 
courtesy this establishment is greatly indebted. The 
that have affected the sugar-cane in the West Indies, Queen 
Mauritius have been described in a series of important articles SEATIE 
over several years (1890-96) whilst diseases sueh as those affecting 
arrowroot in St. Vincent, bananas in Fiji, cocoa-nut in British 
Honduras, coffee in Tt Africa, onions in Bermuda, wheat in 
Cyprus, pe pper in Mysore, potatos in India, vanilla in the Fershelios 
have also been eus dealt with. Of considerable pies value 
articles on the preservation of grain from weevils 1890,144), Kod 
on the well-known plant m alady called ** anbury and e * finger and toe," 
which attacks turnips (K.B., 1895, 129). It is shown that free acid 
present in the soil is favourable to the disease, while a free alkali is 
unfavourable. 
r 
A 
FIBRE PLANTS. 
The large and increasing interest. taken in fibre plants and 
Tein references made to this establishment on the subject, idared 
it desirable to place within reach of cultivators in India and the 
Colonies a summary of information respecting them. This is contained 
in a series of articles begun in 1887 and continued with more or less 
hc Sane ity to the present time. "The total number amounts to about 70. 
might be expected, those of chief importance relate to Sisal hemp and 
Hle, or China grass, subjects whieh have received much attention in 
various parts of the Empire. rticles are of value, not only 
actual demand, and yielding remunerative Scere: ut in preventing: 
to be use 
expenditure upon these that are known 
Many fibres have been traced to the plants yielding them for the first 
For instance, the Mexican whisk, or iz acaton, Was 
identified, from specimens communicated by the Foreign ce, ns 
t of a species of Æ "pcs, a grass distributed over the ER 
e root 
of Mexico. The plants yielding the fibre called Istle, used, not for 
making, but as a substitute for animal bristles in the aanita of 
cheap nail and scrubbing brushes, were found to belong to a group 
