June 2, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
793 
Evvthriiia nmbrosa, Il.B.K. (Bois imffioretelU ) 
Sparassns, sp. 
Acacia decurrecs, IVilLl. 
Kosa iiidica, X. Phnigmidium devastatrix, Sor. 
lincalypuis, -v;. (Gum tree). Rosellinia jadiciperda, 
Mass. 
Quisqnalis icdica, L. Corticiuin. sp. 
I'tassiliora cosrulea, L. (Passion-flowerj. Cystopiis, 
fp. 
Cuonniis sativus, L. Cucumber. Peronospora, sp- 
Daucus Carota, L. Carrot. 
Coifea liberica L. Cladosporium herbaruni, Peis. 
Jlhododendron sinensis, ^/c. 
Mimusopa hexandra, Jioxb, 
Piper nigrum (Black pepper). Coleroa, s/;. 
Acalypha iudica, L. 
Agathis obtusa, Liadl. Strigu'a coniplanata, Fee 
Musa paradisiaca, L. (Plantain). 
Kirata=; .s-;;, Pythium de Baryanum, Hesse. 
Eletta'.ia Cardamomuni, Matoa. (Cardamom). 
Areca Gitechu, L. (Arecanut palm)'. Pbyscia 
speciosa, 
Corypha umbraculifera L, (Talipot palm). Spliaeria, 
5/). 
Borassus flabelliformis, L. (Palmyra palm) Sphaeria 
- . 
Oaladium biscolor, lent. Diachoea elegans, hr. 
Panicuni sanguinale, L. Ustilago, 67*. 
Setaria glauca Beauv Claviceps, .f^.;. , 
Andropogon, sp. Epichloe typhina, Tul. 
Eleusine aegyptiaca, I'trs. Ustilago sp. 
Adiantum Capillus- V^eneris, L. (Maiden-ha'r-fem 
Cystopus, sp. 
Some other plants and parts of plants were received 
which the senders did not know the name of, and which 
did not afford sufQjierit material for naming. 
BLUESIONE " As A WEED KILLEll. 
Other botanical matters not relating to fungi or 
plant diseases have occupied my attention during the 
past year. The question of the use of " Bluestone," 
Copper Sulphate, in stoppint; the growth of weeds 
like oxalis, has been investigated, but the experi- 
ments shswed little or no tli^ect. The undoubted 
value of this substance in getting rid of charlock 
from wheat fields in England, wi'hout damaging the 
crop, suggested this experiment, which will be con- 
tiuued under different conditions until it can be 
definitely stated that it has no useful effect, or its 
value proved. 
GRASS SEEDS FOR PASTURES AND LAWNS. 
An examination of the seed used in laying down a 
large area of grass at a high elevation has been made. 
Four different samples of the mixture, which was 
obtained from a leading English seed merchant, were 
analyzed and the proportions of each of the different 
grass and clover seeds in the mixture determined. 
By enclosing a portion of this land and allowing the 
plants to flower, which has been sown down for some 
time, and observing the plants forming the herbage, 
an interesting record will be obtained as to the grasses 
and clovers which have grown and prospered, and 
those that have failed to come up at all. In this 
way we shall arrive at a conclusion as (o what 
European grasses, clovers, and other herbage and 
lawn plants are suited to the hill country I shall be 
glad to receive s mples from any one who is laying 
down European seeds, to analyze and give advice as 
to the value of ceeds for the purpose. The practice 
of buying mixtures is, however, to be deprecated :it 
is much better to get from the seedsman the 
required quantities of named seeds and mix them when 
bought. 
CACAO CUTTINGS. 
Cacao and its improvement has not been lost 
sight of In the first place, though my own experi- 
ments in obtaining new plants from cuttings have not 
proved successful either in the open or under glass, 
Mr. Herbert Wright, the Scientific Assistant and 
feting Carator of the Gardens, has achieved the re* 
quired result, and has succeeded in rearing a plant from 
a cul;tii)g. The conditions which seem to h . ve helped 
:n this c iseare a sandy s iland an abundant and con- 
stant supply of water at the roots. It will be wdlif 
this IS noted bv cacao planters, so that they may be 
helped m their experiments in this direction. It need 
hardly be stated how valuable it will be if we can 
arrive at an easy method of sinking raoao cuttings, 
0 3 by this means we can perpetuate the characters of 
a specially valuable tree. 
-lIBASUliEHENTS OE CACAO TODS. 
The meaiarements of fruits have been continued with 
»- view to arriving at a decision as to whether any 
e.xternal characters of the pod cj,n be used for selec- 
'lon of seed. The same results which were recorded 
list year, and later in a short note in ' Tropical 
Agriculturist " for April, 1901, have been arrived at, 
VIZ , that the ex'ernal shape and size of the fruit 
affords no criterion as to the commercial value of the 
seed within, and may often bs a most misleading 
character. The pods examined —more than 1,000 in all 
—were of all kinds and vaiieties and on different 
estates. Tliey were all measured accurately, both 
lengthways and around the thickest part, and weighed- 
then they were opened and the number and 
weight of the seeds and the weight of the fruit wall 
recorded. The diigrams. produced first in the 
1 rorncal AijricaHurist show more clearly than any 
explanation the absence of relation between external 
ch iracteis of the fruit and weight of seed, 
SELECTION CF EEKD CACAO PLANTING 
The natural method of selection of seed pods with 
our present knowledge of cacao is to select from a 
parent possessing the qualities wanted. A heavy 
cropper, i.e., a habitual heavy cropper, not an occa- 
sional big yield, a hardy pUnt, these are the things 
to be looked for in selection, if we are to improve 
our Ceylon cacao. No fruit tree gives better promise, 
and the wonders which have been achieved in im- 
provement of the European and American fruits are 
an example to encourage in this direction. An experi- 
mental p.ot which was mentioned in last year's report 
in which were planted seeds from a tree which has' 
boiuefor six years an average of 434 ripe pods has 
been preserved and tended, and the plants fr m this 
bed will be planted out and carefully watched with a 
view to their pos-essing a great deal or in part this 
heavy cropping character of the parent tree. 
POLLINATION OP CACAO. 
The pollination of cacao has been again woiked al- 
though unfortunately pressure of other matters pre 
vented much time being devoted to this interesting 
question. That the heavy cropping qualities of soniR 
of our Oeylon trees is due to the more effective colli 
nation and fertilizn tion is more than probable, " and 
therefore a knowledge as to the method of pollination 
will perhaps help ns in finding what conditions are 
most favourable to the setting of a large quantity of 
pods. So far as my researches in this field go, I have 
only discovered one animal, an aphis (Apliides Ceylonica 
Jkeaeola. Buckton.) which was carrying pollen grains 
This insect I found in considerable' numbers in buds 
and young flowers, and several of them had pollen 
grains of the cacao adhering to their bodies and limbs. 
During the next flowering season I hope to carry out 
an exhaustive series of experiments with regard to 
the pollination of cacao. Some remarks on this 
matter in my last annual report were misunderstood 
and in letters to the daily papers it was thought that 
I was attamptmg some method of artificial polli- 
nation. The structure of the cacao flower and other 
things render this impracticable. In this connection 
It may be mentioned that inquiries are still made to 
me about the structure of the cacao flower, owing to an 
erroneous statement as to " male and female " flowera 
being at one timo published. The flowers of cacao 
are all truly hermaphrodite, t.c, having both stamen 
(male) and pistil (female). I have in an e.\amiuation 
