83? 



Dr. Morris has lately seat seeds of this palm to the Botanic Garden* 

 in Jamaica, accompanied by the following letter : — 



The Commissioner of Agriculture for the West Indies to the Director 

 of Public Gardens and Plantations, Jamaica. 



Barbados, 

 21st March, 1901. 



Drar Sir, 



By last mail I forwarded for your acceptance about 600 seeds of 

 Ihrinax Morrisii. I hope these have safely reached yon. 



2. These seeds were obtained after a good deal of trouble and 

 expense. The original plants have been nearly all destroyed at Angu- 

 illa, and it is doubtful whether further seed will be obtained except 

 from one of the Danish islands where the specimen is said to exist very 

 sparingly. There is a handsome specimen of this palm growing at the 

 Botanic Station at Grenada. This is about four to five feet high and 

 in vigorous health. The segments of the palmate leaves are divided 

 almost to the base and this character as well as the rather upright 

 petioles easily distinguishes the species from Thrinav radiata and other 

 small palms of this group. 



I should be glad to learn of the occurrence of this palm under cul- 

 tivation elsewhere in the West Indies. 



I am, Dear Sir, 



Faithfully yonrs, 



D. Morris. 



; DISEASES IN PINE-APPLE PLANTS. 



Some diseased pine-apple plants were sibmitted through Dr. Mac- 

 Dougal of the New York Botanical Garden to Prof. Webber, and the 

 following report was very kindly written on them : — 



" The diseased pine-apple, is affected with a malady which we know 

 as blight. While this trouble has not been carefully investigated 

 there seems to be but little doubt that it is cxused by a parasitic fun- 

 gus attacking the roots in a manner similar to that of the Fuiarium 

 disease which Docter Smith has describe 1 as affecting the cotton, 

 melon, squash, ect. The fungus has been traced into the root hairs 

 and thence into the small lateral roots and up into the stem where it 

 frequently causes a blackening and rotting of the tissue. It yet 

 remains to produce the disease by inoculition, however, so we cannot 

 say that the fungus foand in such diseased plants is the primiry 

 cause of th« trouble. The plants affected with the milaly first 

 show the symptom? by withering and decay of the tips of the leaves, 

 particularly on the outer row. This gradually continues until all the 

 leaves are affected and the plant is reduced to a mere stump. Fre- 

 quently the disease goes on for a considerable pariod, as in the case 

 of the cabbage wilt without causing the death of the plant. Such 

 plants, however, have proved worthless and as they might as well be 



