«3 



sown with it entered the young seedling finally travelling upon the 

 ear and destroying the young fruit. Simple treatment of the 

 grain with a cheap fungicide solution before sowing destroys the 

 noxious fungal spore without injuring the germinating power of 

 the grain. There is no universal application ; the circumstances of 

 the case determine the mode of procedure. 



Changes of season — wet to dry, warm to cold — help the destruction 

 of fungal spores ; though most fungi have adaptations, such as 

 specially resistent spores, to surmount this obstacle. The potato 

 blight, which prematurely kills the leaves, winters in the tuber. 

 The uniformly warm and moist climate, without any marked 

 distinction into seasons, of this Peninsula is well suited to rapid 

 spread of fungi. For this reason and on account of the large 

 areas covered with the same species of tree the early notification 

 of unhealthiness is important. A specimen from the diseased 

 plant should be sent to the Department of Agriculture for investi- 

 gation and advice. Usually too little material is sent ; it is better 

 to err on the side of sending too much. Specimens should not be 

 sent in an envelope; certain parts sent in this way arrive too dry 

 and shrivelled up, others get crushed ; besides it generally means 

 too little material. Moist vegetable matter should be carefully 

 dried and sent in a package or box. Do not send detached leaves ; 

 send the twig and leaf together, pressed flat between sheets of 

 newspaper. Large specimens, such as portions of roots, stems, or 

 large fruits, should be forwarded in ventilated boxes. If it can be 

 conveniently done it is advisable to send the root. Do not send 

 what seems to be the most diseased part in a stem or root, but take 

 a specimen which includes the apparent boundary between healthy 

 and diseased tissues. An account of all observations made on the 

 disease should be sent, will prove useful in the laboratory and may 

 help considerably in diagnosing the disease and advising treatment. 



In the main this paper is for Rubber planters, but the burden of 

 its remarks apply equally to coconuts, coffee, sugar, rice, tapioca 

 and the numerous other vegetable products of the Peninsula. 



W. J. GALLAGHER, m. a. 



THE SIGNIFICANCE OF LATEX IN PLANTS. 



The following appears in the " Tropenpflanzer''' : A paper by 

 Dr. Hans Kniep appeared under the above title in " Flora " in 1905 

 and deserves to be known to a wider circle. On the basis of a critical 

 examination of earlier researches in this field and supported by his 

 own experiments, the writer attempts to show that it cannot be 

 proved on either anatomical or physiological grounds that the 

 laticiferous vessels are important organs for conducting or storing 

 plastic substances, functions ascribed to them by many authors. On 

 the contrary various experiments testify against the latex taking any 

 considerable share in the nourishment of the plant. The facts of 

 chemistry are also in agreement with this. The quantity of products 



