13 



tlian $81,000, annnally for ten years, ostensibly for tbe purpose of 

 establishing new plant industries in the islands. These grants were 

 made by the last Parliament, and nine botanic stations on the various 

 islands, with a head oifice in the Barbados, for the investigation of 

 tropical agriculture and the introduction of economic plants will soon 

 be established.* Dr. D. Morris, for some time assistant director of 

 Kew Gardens, was appointed to take charge, and expects to begin the 

 work of organization immediately. The botanic stations established 

 some years ago in several of the islands have been the means of adding 

 to the West Indian products, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, 

 guinea grass, sago, bourbon cane, cofice, nuiago, logwood, cinnamon, 

 bamboo, camphor, orange, lemon, citron, yam, cacao, and shaddock, 

 according to a recent article in Produce World.f 



NEW VARIETIES OF PLANTS ALEEADY IN CULTIVATION. 



There is, however, another branch of the work which appeals more 

 directly to the practical farmer and fruit grower — that of the discovery 

 and introduction of new varieties of our cultivated plants. Such varie- 

 ties may show superiority in aoy one of many qualities which will 

 make them of great value to the cultivator and will be immediately 

 appreciated by him. 



The remarkable tendency of cultivated plants toward variation, which 

 results in the production of innumerable varieties, is recognized as a 

 factor of the utmost importance. The success or failure of a whole plant 

 industry may depend upon obtaining a variety differing so slightly from 

 others in cultivation that the ordinary observer would fail to detect a 

 difference. 



While the era of plant breediDg upon which we are entering will 

 undoubtedly result in the production of a preponderance of American 

 varieties suited to American conditions, the fact remains that at present 

 a large proportion of the best cultivated fruits, vegetables, and cereals 

 grown in the United States are of foreign origination. 



In the immense area — 163,000,000 acres is the estimated wheat areat — 

 now devoted to the cultivation of our staple croi}s new varieties of great 

 value are being constantly originated and tested, and it is the work 

 of systematic plant introduction to match the conditions under which 

 valuable varieties have proved successful abroad with areas in this 

 country, and to introduce the desired plants and ascertain if any advan- 

 tageous qualities are exhibited. There is no country in the world tilled 



* Report of the West India Royal Commissiou^witlisulbsidiaryreportby D.Morris, 

 esq., D. S. C, C. M. G., assistant director of the Royal Gardens, Kew (Appendix A), 

 and statistical tables and diagrams and a map (Appendix B), London, 1897, p. 70 

 and p. 150, Appendix A. 



tThe Produce World. R. H. Smart, editor, 11 Bells Building, Salisbury square^ 

 London, E. C. Sept. 2, 1898, Vol. Ill, No. 71, p. 856. 



$ Annual address of Sir William Crookes before the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, Bristol, 1898, p. 18. 



