5 



is important to collect it into small heaps in order to keep off as much dew as possible, and as soon as the 

 hay is finally made, it should be stacked. 



Probably ensilage would, in Jamaica, be even a more important matter than hay-niaking By 

 this process, grass, &c, may be stored in the green state, and made use of at any subsequent period 

 On seeing fields of corn in St Elizabeth which, on account of the dry weather, would never produce 

 cobs, and therefore represented so much waste of labour and material, the thought naturally occurred 

 that if ensilage were practised, all this green stuff might be converted into food material for use when 

 grass was scarce. Sugar planters, too, could utilize tops which at present very often go to waste. In 

 Barbados the mothod is being employed with great success 



It was very remarkable to see commons where formerly log-wood was carefully exterminated, now 

 becoming covered with young growth, and woods which at one time received no attention, now being 

 cleaned and looked after for a prospective crop of logwood. It will repay cultivators to consider the 

 principles upon which the formation of wood depends, and to guide their cultivation by those principles. 

 Wood is formed by materials which have been elaborated in the leaves, and therefore the amount of 

 wood formed is in direct proportion to the area of the leaf-surface. If the trees are too close together, 

 the branches cannot have full scope, there will be a deficiency of leaves, and a slender stem. Much 

 more will this be the case, if half a dozen stems are allowed to spring up from one spot. On a given 

 area the actual weight of wood may be the same, whether the trees are thinned or left to grow by 

 chance, but in individual stems the difference will at once be seen after careful thinning out and lop- 

 pin"- of lower branches, for the greater the diameter of the stems the less waste there will be in chip- 

 ping. W. F. 



BOTANICAL NOTES ON COMMON PLANTS GROWING IN JAMAICA. 



The Inspector of Schools requires that Students in Training Colleges should prepare for examina- 

 tion in Botany, the chapters referring to this subject in Paul Bert's First Year of Scientific Know- 

 ledge, and should be able to describe 30 plants found commonly in Jamaica. It is proposed in this 

 and following numbers of the Bulletin to give notes on plants suitable for the purpose, not by way of 

 complete description, but to call attention to special points in the structure of the plants, and so illus- 

 trate from living examples botanical terms which are the foundation of botanical language. Those who 

 wish to use these notes should first make themselves familiar with the book mentioned, and also with 

 Hooker's Primer of Botany (MacMillan, price one shilling.) 



(1). Custard Apple, Sweet Sop, Sour Sop, Cherimoya. 



All these belong to one genus, — Anona, and all agree in certain particulars as follow: — 



The calyx consists of 3 distinct sepals (poly-sepalous) slightly united at the base, and the edges 

 meeting in the bud (valvate) ; it is inserted below the pistil (inferior). The corolla consists of 6 distinct 

 petals (poly-petalous, arranged in two series. The three petals of the outer series are alternate with 

 the sepals, and those of the inner series are alternate with the outer petals. The outer petals are broad 

 and concave ; the inner are smaller, and in the Sweet Sop, Custard Apple and Cherimoya, they are 

 minute. They are valvate before expansion, and are inserted below the pistil (hypo- gy nous). The stamens 

 are numerous, covering the hemispherical receptacle, they are distinet (poly-androus) ; and hypogynous ; 

 the connective is produced above the anthers ; the filaaients are short. The pistil is free from the calyx 

 (superior), and is composed of numerous carpels, each of which contains a single, erect, reversed ovule 

 (anatropous). The ripe carpels are united (syncarpous) into a pulpy fruit. The seeds contain endosperm 

 (albuminous), in which is a minute embryo. The inner seed-coat projects into the substance of the 

 endosperm, giving a characteristic appearance when cut {ruminate). 



The species mentioned are trees ; the leaves are alternate, entire, without stipules. The flowers 

 are solitary or clustered, terminal or opposite a leaf. 



The following are distinctions amongst themselves : — 



Sour-Sop (Anona muricata, L.) Leaves oblong, at length glabrous ; outer petals subcordate, acute, 

 inner rounded; fruit with recurved spines. 



Sweet-Sop (Anona squamosa, L.). Leaves oblong or lanceolate ; sub-glabrous, glancous on the under 

 surface; outer petals lanceolate, inner minute ; fruit tubercled. 



Cherimoya (Anoma Cherimo'ia, Mill.). Leaves oblong, pubescent above, velvety beneath, outer 

 petals nearly closed, velvety outside, inner minute ; fruit netted, slightly tubercled. 



Custard Apple (Anona reticulata, L'.). Leaves oblong-lanceolate, glabrous ; fruit netted. 



The family or order to which these plants belong is known as Anonace^e. The chief characteristics 

 of the order are as follow : — There are 3 sepals. The petals are distinct, hypogynous, and usually in 

 2 series. There are numerous stamens, generally crowded on the receptacle. The carpels are usually 

 numerous, and apocarpous. The embryo is small in copious ruminate endosperm. The species are trees 

 or shrubs with alternate leaves without stipules. 



To this same order belong Lancewood (Bocagea rirgata), and the ornamental trees Artabotrys and 

 Cananga. 



(2) Cacao or Chocolate (Theobroma Cacao, L.). 

 The calyx is divided nearly to the base into 5 parts (5-partite), the edges of which just touch in the 

 bud {valvate). There are 5 petals, hood-shaped at the base, and produced above the hood into a sort of 

 spoon-shaped process. The stamens are united fmon- adelphous) at the base into a cup ; there are 5 oppo- 

 site the sepals without anthers, and opposite each petal there are 2 anthers with united filaments. The 

 ovary is 5-celled, each cell containing numerous ovules. There is one style, and 5 stigmas. The seeds 

 are enveloped in pulp, and are without endosperm (ex-albuminous) ; the cotyledons are thick and corruga- 

 ted ; the radicle is very short. This species is a large shrub or tree ; the leaves are entire, oblong, 

 glabrous ; the flowers are small, aud are scattered over the trunk and branches. 



