398 



A clear (i.e., not sodden -looking) blackish discolouration, siudded 

 with minute black points, is caused by a fungus, Asterina tenuissima, 

 n. sp., which also discolours the green stems. This is quite super- 

 ficial and does no damage. 



Miscellaneous. — A "die back" of Hevea saplings has been re- 

 ported from one district. Two fungi have been found on the dead 

 branches, but infection experiments with these have given negative 

 result. Vermicular ia, sp., has been observed on seedlings which 

 have died from decay of the root; this would probably be prevented 

 by a change of nurseries and sterilisation of the soil. It too often 

 happens that owing to difficulties in the matter of water supply the 

 same ground is used for nurseries every year without any special 

 sreatment. 



T. PETCH, 



Peradeniya Annual Report for 1905* 



THE WORK OF THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE. 



We have lately received a copy of the blue book containing the 

 Report on the work of the Imperial Institute for 1905, which is a 

 publication of no small importance to all who are in any way interes- 

 ted in the Agricultural and mineral wealth of the Empire. The 

 Institute was placed under the management of the Board of Trade in 

 1902 assisted by an Advisory Committee including representative of 

 this Department, the India and Colonial Offices, Board of Agriculture 

 and Governments of India and the Colonies. The principal branches 

 of activity of the Institute were the Scientific and Technical Depart- 

 ment, the collection of Economic products and the Commercial 

 Intelligence Department. The latter has been absorbed into the 

 Board of Trade Intelligence Branch, located in the City of London, 

 and the other two branches are carried on in the Imperial Institute 

 building at South Kensington under the managership of Sir CECIL 

 CLEMENTI Smith formerly Governor of the Straits Settlements 

 and Sir Alfred Bateman. 



Under the Directorate of Professor WyNdham Dunstan, aided 

 by an energetic staff the progress of the extremely important work 

 of the investigation of various Economic products of the Empire has 

 made a truly remarkable progress. 



Before the evolution of this Department it was not at all easy to 

 get any new product examined and valued. Analyses could only be 

 effected at a considerable cost, and there was no satisfactory method 

 of bringing a new product, or an improvement of an old one to the 

 notice of the trade, many valuable products remained wasting in 

 different parts of the Empire, for want of a connection between the 

 discoverer and the buyer, and for want of knowledge of their value 

 and the best means of turning them to account. Many more riches 

 lie at our feet waiting still till they can be put into the markets of 

 the world. It seems remarkable in an Empire so rich in all manner 

 of animal, vegetable and mineral products, that steps were not 



