105 



and the time at which they should be removed. The latter information 

 could, of cou r se, be derived by a study of the complete life -history of 

 the pests 



Various remedies have been suggested in the direction of applying 

 to the soil some substance which would prove harmful to the pests. 

 We think the most suitable substance to try at first is ordinary lime. 

 This substance is most commonly applied as a remedy for insect pests 

 either alone or mixed with common soot Lime from gasworks might 

 also be employed. 



A certain quantity well incorporated with the soil around the plants 

 might have a most beneficial effect, and would probably benefit the 

 crop at the same time It is, at any rate, a practical and in°xpensive 

 method Much has also beei said concerning an applicat'on of ni- 

 trates, and many misleading and inaccurate figures published regard- 

 ing the percentage of nitrates present in the soil. We do not deny 

 that an application of nitrogenous manure may have beneficial effect, 

 not as a direct remedy against the pests, but merely as encouraging 

 and stimulating the plant and helping it, provided the numbers of 

 nematodes are not too excessive, to outgrow and overcome their attack. 



Experiments might also show if the worms in question or similar 

 ones are capable of attacking other and more important crops in the 

 country. Wheat and Onions are known to suffer occasionally from 

 the attacks of nematode worms belonging to the genus Tylenchus, the 

 Tylenchus of the Onion causing great damage in Europe, and being 

 found occasionally in the crop of Upper Egypt. 



LACE BARK. 



Lagetta lintearia, Lam. 



[The following account taken from the Botanical Magzaine, pub- 

 lished 1st March, 1850, was written by Sir William Jackson Hooker, 

 Director of Kew Gardens, and by Mr. Smith the Curator.] 



Every one has heard of the " Jamaica Lace- Bark," and has inspected 

 the curious and beautiful substance : few have seen specimens of the 

 leaves and flowers, still fewer have seen the living plant, nor was it, 

 we believe, permanently introduced in the latter state to Europe till 

 the year 1844 The year before that, our intelligent Collector for the 

 Kew Gardens, Mr. Purdie, was instructed to take the island of Jamaica 

 on his way to New Granada, and visit the quarters of this plant (the 

 parishes of Yere, Clarendon and Elizabeth), to which it seems to be 

 confined. Mr. Purdie spent some days among woods of this tree, but 

 could find neither flower nor fruit in a state fit to send home. But 

 our wishes being known to Mr. Wilson, the indefatigable Curator of 

 the Botanic Gardens at Bath (Jamaica), he kindly procured seeds and 

 young plants a few months later and has b°eu the means of introduc- 

 ing this rarity to our stoves. Our plants are now eight to ten feet 

 high, and one of them produced, for the first time, flowers and fruit 

 copiously in the summer and autumn of 1849. 



It is well known that the liber or inner bark of this tree consists of 

 layers of reticulated fibre, exactly resembling well-prepare 1 lace ; and 

 its nature is besr exhibited by taking a truncheon from a branch, 

 tearing down the bark, and separating it by the hand into as many 



