205 



Manihot aipi, affected with a fungus disease. The natives informed 

 him that it was not rare especially appearing after dry weather, but 

 owing to the long spell of dry weather we recently had it had 

 become rather aggressive. Research showed the fungus also in 

 Tapioca growing in damp ground in the Botanic Gardens. The 

 leaves show at first discolored spots on both surfaces, which are of 

 various sizes, rounded or oblong \ to \ inch across, usually when 

 well developed the central portion is dry surrounded by an irregular 

 yellow patch of discoloration. The whole patch eventually becomes 

 quite dry and falls out leaving an irregular hole. Before it does so 

 however, and when it has become brown, the fungus produces its 

 fruits in the form of small black dots visible with an ordinary lens, 

 chiefly on the upperside of the leaf. These small elevations produce 

 a number of sausage shaped spores. 



The fungus appears to be one of the Uredincas. 



At present it does not appear to have done much harm although 

 abundant in some spots. Mr. SNODGRASS reports that the plants in 

 affected fields produce large and good roots, but it is by no means 

 to be neglected. The leaves affected turn yellow and fall and the 

 plants have a sickly appearance. It is advisable to destroy as many 

 sick leaves as possible by burning them, and to spray the plants 

 with Bordeaux mixture. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY. 



RUBBER CULTIVATION IN THE BRITISH EMPIRE, 



By Herbert Wright, Associate r.c.s., f.l.s. 

 Mr. Wright is so well known to the public interested in 

 Rubber through his work "Hevea brasiliensis or Para Rubber, 

 its Botany, cultivation, Chemistry and diseases published last 

 year that any further contributions from him on the same sub- 

 ject is bound to be read with the greatest interest. The lecture 

 delivered before the Society of Arts by Mr. WRIGHT and of which 

 the book under notice is the lecture amplified, is an admirable 

 summary of our present knowledge on rubber. The criticisms on 

 the lecture by Dr. Prain, and others, on the various aspects of the 

 rubber questions are no less interesting, than valuable. Altogether 

 £e heartily commend the book and recommend any one interested 

 ,n the subject to obtain it without delay. It is published by 

 UAclaren and Sons, at the Office of the India Rubber Journal, 

 37 and 38, Shoe Lane, E. C. 



