638 
tH£ TROPICAL AGRICULtURIST. 
[March i, i88c(- 
produced in them. These " resting spores " are pro- 
duced in abundance in the places in which seed 
potatoes are ordinarily stored ; they bury themselves 
iti the eye of the potato, and are planted with it. 
These spores will not produce mycelium or spawn 
unless the proper juices are ready for their develop- 
ment, and not then unless the physical agencies are 
also at hand, such as a proper degree of moisture, 
heat, and the proper kind of exhalations from damp, 
unventilated ground, with some disturbed magnetic 
state of the earth and air. The tuber is planted 
with the "resting spore" in its eye; it sends up 
its haulm with the spore in its tissue. Just about 
the time of flowering the juices in the plant are 
matured sufficiently for the " resting spore " to de- 
velope; if then, there should be the conjunction of 
circumstances we have mentioned viz. moisture, un- 
drained ground, and electric disturbances, with lux- 
uriant tops to the plants, the fungus is developed in 
the most marvellous manner, and millions of spores 
are wafted over the field, not resting, but immediately 
growing, sending their mycellium into the stomata, 
or breathing pores upon the plant, and in a few 
hours poisoning the whole of the crop by interfering 
with the proper maturation of the juices. Every 
potato receiving juice from a diseased haulm will 
suffer. The growth of the fungus arises from its 
abstracting an important part of the juice of the plant, 
so that the character of the circulating fluid is quite 
altered; and a similar result happens as is the case 
when a human being is deprived of the oxygen re- 
quired for active respiration, or if some other gas is 
respired. The blood is altered, and if the alteration 
continues long enough death results. No doubt highly 
manured lands and crops dressed with artificial 
manures beyond measure more easily succumb to the 
disease, just as is the case with highly fed, richly 
seasoned human beings : whenever fever gets hold of 
them they rot most rapidly. So also if plants are 
infested with insects, such as the Eupteryx picta, they 
will more easily yield to the disease because they 
contain less mineral matter in their tissues; but such 
are not causes for the disease. The cause is the fun- 
gus Botrytis infestaas. The remedy is to destroy the 
germ before planting, and so to treat the seed — that 
no fungoid growth shall be possible while stored away. 
Care should be taken to pick out the best specimens 
for seed, middle-sized, underformed, and clear-skinned 
tubers, which is so often contrary to the general 
custom. These should then be treated with a dressing 
of some material which prohibits fungoid growths, 
such as chloralum, preparations of carbolic acid, or 
creosote, and then stored in a dry, well-ventilated 
chamber, where the temperature shall range between 
35 degrees and 45 degrees. If they show signs of 
sprouting they should be immediately planted, for the 
removal of the early sprouts takes away much of the 
mineral matter out of the tuber. Common sense will 
dictate the measures which should be taken for the 
proper ventilation and drainage of the soil in which 
they are planted. We write these suggestions in the 
belief that one law governs the action of disease, 
whether in plants or jn human beings, and that it 
is easier to destroy the " resting germs " than to stay 
their effects. It may be urged against this view that 
the tubers UBed for seed could be destroyed by the 
germ in the eye, but it is one of the points in the 
natural history of the Botrytis infestans that it feeds 
upon the juices of the growing plant, and the matured 
potato is not growing, therefore the concurrent cir- 
cumstances requisite for its fertile development are 
not present. The " resting spore " continues such 
until all the circumstances are favourable for its 
growth. It is carried upwards in the haulm until 
its proper season arrives. This may not come; it may 
be too dry, or there may be no magnetic disturbances, 
or these changes may come too late, then no epidemic. 
We, should mention that after the tuber has been 
infested by the Botrytis, its destruction is completed 
by another fungus, tho Fitsisporium Solanii, which 
changes its form as tho work of destruction proceeds, 
hardening some portion of the tissue of the potato, 
but changing the major part into a gelatinous, stink- 
ing mass, by means of which the starch is destroyed, 
while the gluten aDd the juices proper appear to be 
the food upon which the Botrytis flourishes. If, 
therefore, it is intended to save the starch, it must 
be done before the Fusisporium is developed.— South 
of India Observer. 
DRUG TRADE REPORT. 
London, January 31st. 
Cinchona.— The number of packages offered at to- 
day's auctions was rather smaller than shown at 
tne first sales of the year, but the deficiency was more 
apparent than real, being caused exclusively by the ab- 
sence of the less valuable South American barks. The 
fourteen catalogues comprised : — 
Packages Packages 
Ceylon bark ... 2,560 of which 1,665 were sold 
East India bark ... 505 „ 152 „ 
South American bark 397 „ 178 „ 
Java bark ... 2S3 „ 283 ,, 
Jamaica bark ... 14 „ 14 ,, 
African bark ... 39 7 ,, 
Total ... 3,798 „ 2,299 
The sales opened very languidly indeed, and, with 
the exception of a few parcels which were competed 
for with some slight flickering of animation, dulness 
reigned throughout. A very large proportion of the 
parcels offered was bought in, the figures obtainable 
falling generally considerably short of the limits placed 
upon the goods, and some of the brokers withdrew 
several lots at the time without going through the 
formality of soliciting bids. It is generally agreed 
that the prices paid were rather lower than at the 
previous auctions, the average unit being placed at 
l^d to If d per lb. The following are the approximate 
quantities purchased bv the principal buyers : — 
Lb. 
Agents for the Mannheim & Amsterdam works 175,992 
Agents for the Brunswick works ... 119,705 
Agents for the American, French, &c, makers 101,965 
Agents for the Auerbach works ... 58,014 
Agents for the Frankfort and Stuttgart works 39,965 
BIr. Thomas Whiffen ... ... 38,705 
Messrs. Howards & Sons ... ... 14,607 
Sundry buyers ... ... ... 15,013 
Total sold 
Bought in or withdrawn 
563,166 
276,713 
Total quantity catalogued ... 839,879 
It is understood that the mere weight of bark pur- 
chased affords no guide whatever to the quinine 
yield presented by it, firms who buy a small quantity 
of bark by weight frequently taking the richest lots, 
and vice versa. 
Sooth American Bake : The auctions were notice- 
able for the absence of the heavy parcels of old 
Cuprea and Pitayo barks, which are generally in- 
cluded in the catalogues. On this occasion nearly the 
whole of the supply consisted of cultivated Bolivian 
Oalisaya quills, of which 144 packages were sold at 
cheap rates. The following prices were paid ; Yellow 
varieties : Bolivian quill, good strong silvery to thin, 
rather broken lOd to 6§d ; a fine parcel from the 
Cusilluni plantation, Yuugas, being held at lid per lb 
Red varieties: common damaged pieces 2d to 8d 
thin colourless quill 2d to 3d ; dark druggists' quill 
(one bale) 2s 7d per lb. 
Jamaica Baek.— Fourteen bags of grey character, 
mostly dust, root, and broken branch quill, sold at 
Id to 2|d per lb. The whole lot weighed only 828 lb. 
African Bark. — Thirty-nine packages were offered, 
imported via Lisbon, and grown in the island of San 
Thome. There were altogether 5,547 lb., but only 7 
packages were sold, subject to approval, at 2d per lb 
for long, partly broken, thin, red quill. The rest in 
eluded some fairly good strong red quill. 
Quinine. — Early in the week the prioe of 
Howards' brand was reduced 2d per oz by the makers 
who now quote Is 8d for bottles, and Is 6d for bulk 
in quantities. Whiffens' is quoted at Is 5d for bulk. 
There has been a rather important business (so, at 
