345 



of the quantity stated above. {See also Eug. Collin, sur le vrai et le 

 faux Ko-sam, Journal de Pharmacie et de Chimie, 1900, II, p. 190)." 



Merck's Annual Report for igoi, p. iff. 



A BLACK ROT DISEASE OF GINGER IN 

 JAMAICA. 



A fungal disease ot Ginger is reported by Mr. Howard from 

 Jamaica in the Jamaica Bulletin (November and December, 1901, 

 and February, 1902). The fungus travels underground by means of 

 rhizomorphs black root-like bodies, and penetrates the rhizomes of 

 the ginger, appearing like black lines in the rhizome. The diseased 

 plants should be burnt, and the ground in which the disease appears 

 should be isolated by trenches, only healthy rhizomes should be 

 planted and they should be soaked for a few hours in Bordeaux 

 mixture. 



ROUCHERIA GRIFFITHIANA. 



Some time ago in reply to a request by Dr. Greshoff, of Haar- 

 lem, a quantity of the bark of Roucheria Grijjithiana, Akar 

 Ipoh Putih of the Malays was sent for analysis. The plant is a 

 stout climber with whitish bark, lanceolate dark green leaves, and 

 an abundance of small yellow flowers followed by small red drupes. 

 It climbs by means of peculiar hooks which thicken as they get a 

 hold on the neighbouring vegetation. It belongs to the order Lineo3 ) 

 and is very abundant all over the Peninsula. The bark is .used 

 by the Sakais in the preparation of their poison for the blow-pipe 

 darts, and as they state that it is effective as a poison it was desir- 

 able that it should be examined. 



The analvsis was made by Dr. J. Sach, of Gottinger and is pub- 

 lished as an Inaugural Dissertation. From the bark he extracted 

 a crystalline substance, a cholesterin, known as Lupeol. 



Dr. SHERMANS REPORT ON GUTTA PERCHA. 



A copy of this interesting report has been received at the Botanic 

 Gardens Library. It has been already referred to in the last num- 

 ber of the bulletin through an extract from the India Rubber World, 

 but no mention was made to the excellent series of photographs no 

 less than thirtysix in number with which it is illustrated. The 

 photographs represent trees, leaves fruit etc., of Dichopsis Gutta, 

 Payena Leerii, Hcvea Braziticnsis, Castilloa E/asf/ca, Ftcus 

 elastica and Willughbeia firma and W. tenui flora. Twenty of 

 these photographs were taken in the Botanic Gardens and Forests 

 of Singapore and Penang, and the rest in the Botanic Gardens of 

 Buitenzorg. 



GERMAN COLONIAL ENTERPRISE. 



Translation of an extract from the Preface to the first issue of 

 the German monthly paper for Tropical Agriculture, " the Tropen 

 Pflanzer 6th year, No. I, January, 1902. 



