Ill 
been introduced, together with other tropical American weeds 
and ornamental plants, into the island of Negros, in the Philip- 
pines. This plant, by its rapid spread and luxuriant growth, has 
already caused trouble to agriculturists in Hawaii, where insect 
pests have been introduced for the purpose of diminishing its 
spread. 
The measures that are proposed for the eradication of the 
weed before it becomes disseminated beyond control consists in 
the process of loosening the root system, which is very weak, 
by means of a pick or a strong wooden stake, and then cutting 
through the roots just below the collar; the plants treated in 
this way are allowed to become dry in the sun, and are then 
burned as soon as they are fit for this to be done. 
The article draws attention to the characteristic inflorescence 
of the plant, which consists of a small bunch of reddish or yel- 
lowish flowers, borne near the tips of the branches ; the flowers 
in the center of the bunch open first, when their color is pinkish 
or yellowish, but reddish or purplish after a few days. The most 
potent circumstance in the spread of the plant is the fact that 
the fruits are eagerly eaten by birds, which do not, however, di- 
gest the seeds. 
As is well known, the plant is a perennial, and attains in the 
West Indies a height of 5 to 7 feet. In Hawaii, it has been 
known to grow as tall as 15 feet, but the specimens in Negros 
were only 6 to 9 feet high, at the time of publication. — Agricul- 
tural News. 
RESISTANCE OF PLANTS TO WIND— A COTTON 
PEST. 
The Bulletin Agricolc, of Mauritius, for February, 1911, has 
an interesting note on the effects, on various plants, of the hur- 
ricane that visited the island at the beginning of that month. 
It states that cocoanut palms showed a useful power of resist- 
ance to the wind, while the tamarind trees, although they had 
attained their full leafage, merely suffered a scorching of the 
leaves and soon sprouted again. In an area where much harm 
was done to plants of everv kind, several acres of cotton were 
completely destroyed, though generally this plant exhibited rea- 
sonable behavior under the trving conditions : the wind scorched 
the leaves, but new buds quickly opened ; the position in regard 
to cotton is summarized by sayinp- that this plant has proved its 
possession of a power of resistance to high winds. 
The note, it mav be stated also, has reference to a large snail 
which is a pest of cotton in Mauritius. This, according to in- 
formation contained in a letter from Mr. I. H. .Lee, who is in 
Mauritius on behalf of the British Cotton Growing Association, 
is Achafiiia fulica. In regard to this aninial, it is of interest that 
