173 
A Canna Disease.—A dangerous disease, by which species of Canna 
are quickly destroyed, was first recorded from San Paulo, in Brazil, in 
Quite recently an account of the destruction of Cannas, by what 
proves to be the fos fungus, Uredo Canne, Winter, has been received 
from Mr. J. H. Hart, Superintendent of the Botanic ‘Gardens, Trinidad. 
Diseased leaves are i first thickly studded with minute, yellowish spots ; 
this appearance is cerise followed by blackening and death, The 
disease does not appear to have reached Europe as yet, and great care 
should be exercised in receiving living plants from the New World, as 
the fungus, which is a close. ally of the Hollyhock rust, Puccinia 
Malvacearum, if once introduced, would, in all probability, render 
impossible, for a time at least, the cultivation of Cannas. 
Double Rice,—In the agere bs of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 
for April 1895, Dr. D. Prain describes and figures what is known in 
In 
dia as Double Rice. g a s the phenomenon was found to be 
e to an increase in the number of ovaries, the other parts s the- 
flower being invariably of the normal namber. In the gyn 3 
o 
over 150 flowers examined not one was found with fewer than soar 
ovaries, ccd CPBSEHGRY perfect; the usual number being five. A few 
flowers were found to have six, and one or two had seven ovaries.. 
When five, six, or seven ovaries were present, sometimes only three, - 
usually four or five appeared to be perfect. ‘The ovaries may be o 
two-, or three-styled. Usually only two ovaries develop into ers 
sometimes three, and their shape is modified accordingly. 
Sorghum si gigi —The Sugar Sorghum or Broom Corn (Andropogon 
Sorghum, Brot., var. Saccharatus, Koern., is a grass largely cultivated 
in Northern India, China, and Japan, as as well as in the United States. 
It is, however, native of none of these countries, and its original home is 
obscure, but is probably Tropical Africa. For many years past æ- 
strenuous effort has been made in North America to utilise the sugar 
sorghum as a source of sugar in a zone north of that in which the sugar - 
cane is grown, The result has not, however, been very successful, as- 
the sugar can only be obtained for the most part in an uncryst allizable- 
form. Syrup is, however, a large article of Peay os in n United 
States, and this alone affords the industry a chance of su 
The following extract from The Louisiana Planter for Ta ember 1,. 
1894, gives what is no doubt a correct account of the industry from an 
American point of view. 
“ The Sorghum Industry, —Sorghum manufacture consists in making 
syrup and also sugar. It is a common error to measure the sorghum 
industry simply by i its yield of sugar. The value of the sorghum syrup 
product of the country is greater ‘than the value of the sorghum sugar. 
In smell factories syrup only is produced, and in large factories syrup, 
sugar, and molasses are produced. The sorghum crop is of sufficient 
importance in twenty-four States to be reported monthly by the govern- 
ment statistician, along with sugar cane, rice, wheat, corn, and othe 
leading Rim of the countr 
e season for sorghum manufacture usually € e dps At 
that season sugar cane syrup is not found i in market. s, then, a 
general demand for ‘new crop syrup. At the beginning of. the season 
