THE TROPICAL AGtllCtJLTURIST. 
[Sept. 1, 1902. 
Lemons,— Ci<ms medica, var. Limonuni.—A section 
devoted to SicilyLemons has shown but slow growth 
and considerable variety, and the practice of budding 
and grafting, mnst be again applied to ensure the 
production of good marketable fruit. In the opera- 
tions of budding and grafting, the ssville or Sour 
Orange stock has been exclusively used ; as this ia 
Bald to resist the attack the fungus commonly known 
as the " 3Ial-de-Gomma " or " Root rot, " .from which 
many trees of the Genus suffer very considerably 
notably the seedling " Tangerine, " of which over 
25% have succumbed during the present dry season 
notwithstanding treatment with copper solution. 
Some plants were imported budded on stocks of 
Citrus trifoUata, a stock hardy in a cool climate. 
This stock itself ia tender here, and the growth of 
the plants show that it is unsuitable for our work, 
Mangosteen — Garcinia manyostana, Linn. — In some 
places this fruit is confused with the Mango ; a 
variety of the latter fruit without fertile seeds bemg 
actually known as the Mangosteen. Spondias dulcu 
the " Pomme d'or " or Golden Apple, is also known 
as Mangosteen, in some of the West Indies. The 
true MangoUeen however belongs to the order (?««- 
tiferx, while the mango belongs to Anacardinctce: 
The Mangosteen is given in Index Kewensis as a 
native of Indian and Malay States. It was introduced 
to Trinidad many years ago, and there is now a large 
tree which bears annual crops of fruit, more or less, 
in accordance with the seasons ; sometimes several 
hundreds, other years only a few dozens. The fruit has 
been estimated to be quite equal in size and flavour to 
produce found in the markets of the Bast, by those 
who have been resident in both countries, 
COFFEE. 
Hybrids.— The distinct varieties, described in my 
last report as having been raised from home grown 
seed of Co/ea stenopJnjUa, having fruited this year. 
The berries differ much in size from the type, but are 
of the same purple colour. The beans when cleaned 
are about the same size as ordinary C. Arahica while 
the type is much smaller than the variety. The berries 
are fairly large, with a thin skin, but the interior parts 
have some characters in common with Liberian, but 
intermediatie between that species and C Arahica. 
The beans are dark in colour but their inner or 
*' silverskin " distinctly resembles that of Liberian 
thongh considerably modified. Roasted and tested 
for flavour, it was found to be indistinguishable from 
cood Arabian. The varieties raised, vary somewhat 
in size of bean, and in the prominence of the Liberian 
character. There can now be little doubt that these 
Coffee plants are natural Hybrids between Coffea 
gtcnophylla and C. Liherica, as previously anticipated, 
bnt there ia no direct proof that they are really so. 
Some of the varieties are more fruitful than others 
and it ia intended to give the best varieties local 
uameB, and propagate them by grafting. One has 
been named " Commissioner " Coffee, and several 
Bucoeasful grafts have been taken from this kind. The 
Btock used being th? strong growing Liberian. This 
strain is of course unknown upon the London market 
as the trees are special individuals, selected from seed- 
lings having characters differing from any known 
kind.' They are in fact, New Coffees, which it appear 
highly desirable to grow on for experiment. The value 
of the coffee from a grower's point of view is that it 
grows faster and better and fruit earlier than any 
variety of Coffea Arahica and does not require so 
much shade, while it is not so tall growing as the 
liberian that is to say, the varieties appear to promise 
a hardy 'and easily cultivated strain of considerable 
**^'"ckeoi.e Coffee " Coffea Arahica varieties. 
1. Mocha. 
2. " Hybrid " Mocha, 
3. Maragogipe. 
4. Minerva, or narrow leaved. 
5. Ordinary " yl/aJica " or Creole. 
These plants have grown well where suflSoient shade 
been availsvble bm in some sectjoua where there 
was not sufficient fhade at certain times of the day 
the growth has been much retarded. 
As the experiment stands at St. Clair, it is readily 
seen that whenever the sun obtains a;cs8s at the 
hours mentioned, the growth is feeble, weak and 
wanting in vitality, and proves that coffee requires a 
certain sinouct of shade at this elevation. The more 
robust Hybiids and Liberian cm stand much more 
sun than the Arabian varieties The most fruitful 
of our Aiabim vaiitties are the ' Hybrid Mocha ' and 
'Minerva' coffees. The 'Mvrag gipe ' is a large 
beaned coffee, but is wanting in coloui in ordinary 
seasons. The type trees of Coffea stenophylla produced 
good crop?, and the trees are healthy, and appear 
well adapted for cultivation. 
Coffea R'-ustba, Linden. — This is a new species of 
coffee from The Congo, It has flowered and fruited 
during the year. It produced large clusters of pure 
white flowers having an exqniaite perfume, and bears 
sma'l globular red berries. The crop produced has 
all been used for seed. The tree has somewhat the 
habit and size of leaf of Liberian coffee, but is quite 
distinct from that variety. It is reported that the 
flavour of this coffee ia superior to many other species 
This trees have again flowered, and a larger crop ia 
anticipated during the coming season, 
Cacao. — Theohronia Cacao and other species. — The 
section devoted to Cacao has done remarkably well, 
and several Cacao planters have expressed a high 
opinion on the method of cultivation pursued. Plants 
of pure ( riollo are now bearing for the ftrst time, 
aad are giving excellent fruit. Distinguishing charac- 
ters of this variety are, the white interior of the 
seeds, an 1 the bottle shaped neck of the fruit. It 
has been found that ' outside colour,' red or yellow, 
has little or nothing to do with variety, as red comes 
from the seed of yellow, and yellow from the seed 
of red pods. A Venezue'an variety has done extremely 
well and is also carrying its first crop. 
Theohroma pentagona is also in fruit. This plot 
was planted in December, 1898. and is consequently 
just over three years planted. It is fbaded partly by 
Pithecolobium Saman and partly by Gliricidia inaculata 
the Nicaraguan shade iree. Our soil being a dry 
one, it is necessary to give some protection to the 
roots. This has bf^en effected by covering the ground 
with vegetable refuse as a mulching, which has been 
effective in preserving the trees during a lengthy 
dry season. Grafting has been successful with all of 
the varieties, and there are now on hand, plants 
grafted upon stocks of Thehroma hicolor and Hx'rrania 
alhifora, a genus nearly allied to Cacao ; and a further 
attempt is now being made to graft npon stocks of 
Cola, accuminata. The future must decide whether 
any advantage will accrue from the use of these stocks 
but the experiment so far is a successful one. I am 
more convinced daily that the practice of erafting 
Cacao of the best kinds will result in the production 
of samples for market, far superior to any now har- 
vested. The process followed is to select trees having 
Ist, plenty of vitality, 2nd, of good size, 3rd. good 
croppers, 4th, bearing beans of the best quality. 
Plenty of such trees ex'st on many of the Trinidad 
estates, and it stands to reason that if a plantation of 
this kind is raised by using grafted plants a uniform 
sample of produce would be obtained of the highest 
excellence. 
RAMIE. * 
A. RIVIERE. 
DutiiNG the last fifty years Ramie and China-grasi 
have been regularly cultivated in the French colonies, 
as well as in other countries, particularly in India 
and the Dutch colonies. During the American war 
the European manufacturers tried this textile 
material, but the production being insufficient, and 
the treatment difficult, the use of it soon came to 
* Extracts from the Report of the Liternational Coif 
ferm( heW in Pans in U, Maxime, Puire, 190l« 
