440 



[December, 1912. 



trash as possible, and burned. In cases where the trees were just be- 

 ginning to show signs of the disease or had recently died, all infectious 

 material such as the bud, the leaf bases and flower stalks and the upper 

 portion of the stems, was destroyed at once. This was accomplished by 

 burying the whole mass with lime in deep trenches ; the remaining portion 

 of the trunk may be cut up and burned as in the other cases. 



Since this work has been done there has been a marked reduction 

 in the cases of new infections and it points rather conclusively to the fact 

 that the disease can be held in check by these sanitary measures, pro- 

 vided they are enforced on every property. 



Although no trials have been made here in spraying coconut trees 

 cn account of the difficulty of the work, some success has been attained 

 in keeping down bud rot by the use of disinfectants placed by hand in 

 the crown of the trees. Salt is the commonest substance used. A pound 

 or two of course salt can be tied in a piece of coconut fibre and suspended 

 in the crown of the tree in such a position that the rains will wash the 

 brine down into the leaf bases. Some planters have tried iron sulphate 

 and have reported favourably on its use ; while still others use copper 

 sulphate. 



TOBACCO AND COTTON REPORTS. 



Tobacco. 



The following appear in the Bulletin of Agricultural Statistics for 

 October, 1912: — 



Belgium.— Tobacco has suffered from the damp, especially at the time 

 of drying and its quality is affected, 



France.— The harvest is considered to be good. 



Ireland.— At the present moment the harvest is almost finished; as 

 regards the quality it is inferior to the average but superior as to quantity. 



Switzerland.— The harvest of tobacco seems to be about normal. 

 Tobacco growers are satisfied with both the quality and quantity. 



Cuba.— Preparatory work, as well as sowings, are being carried out 

 under good conditions. 



Cotton. 



Egypt.— The Cotton worm has now spread to all parts, but no very 

 serious damage has been done since that reported last month, It is now 

 less likely to occur, as the cotton is ripening quickly in all parts. 



LATEX IN PLANTS. 



The Gardeners' Chronicle for October 1912 states that the use subserved 

 by the milky juice or latex which occurs in many plants : Euphorbias, 

 Poppies, and rubber-producing species generally, has been the subject of 

 much discussion among botanists. Some hold that it is of the nature of a 

 waste product ; others that ic represents an accumulation of food materials 

 on which the plant may draw in time of need ; others again combine these 

 views and regard the latex, which contains various substances in solution 

 and suspension, as serving both functions. Recent work by Bernard 

 {Ann. du Jard. Bot. de Buitenzorg 1910) serves to show that latex may 

 be a reserve of food substanes. By cultivating laticiferous plants in an 

 atmosphere containing no carbon dioxide the formation of sugars is 

 suppressed and the starved plants utilise the starch grains suspended in 

 the latex. 



