FiujRUArtv I, i8Q2.j 
YhE tropical AORICULrUftTSt, 
587 
plant becomes abnormally' yellow, a characteristic 
sign of some form of disease, or the presence of 
some animal witli which it has to strngglo for 
life. On examination now tlie plant is found to 
bo the victim of the coffee-scalo. The berries pro- 
duce by such plants, if produced at all, are small, 
few and wortliless. A noticeable thing in connection 
with the presouce of the “scale insect" is that 
attacked jnants and fruit mature much earlier 
than sound plants, hut, as stated, the fruit is 
wortlilesK. Nearly fifty per cent, of their croxis 
have been lost by the planters through the 
ravages of this insect. 
As for remedy IM. Vendre*! rocommends the use 
of nitrates as manure for tlie soil, but ho says 
nothing as to means for destroying the insect 
itself. In America an emulsion of kerosino oil 
has been found very elHcacious in cohsos of some 
the “ scale- insets." — Hiuujf.oH Y’lmtiA. 
• ♦ 
TIIM lAN’HOVKMKXT OV TRKES. 
It can bardly bo doubted that trees 
whether grown for timlier or for ornament, can be 
improved by methods similar to tlioso which have 
hecu used for the development of our modern 
iruit.s and vegetables, and that the time must come 
whem the same attention will ho paid by scientific for- 
esters to tlio improvement of races of timber-trees 
as is now 1 aid to the improvement of plants of 
far^ less importance to the human race. 
riioro arc ^ certain individuals of every species 
of plants which, for some reason or other, grow 
luoro vigorously then others or possess other excep- 
tional qualities. Tliis fact lias been taken advan- 
tage ^ of to establish now races of garden-plants, 
but in the case of trees it has been loo generally 
overlooked, and sufficient attention has never been 
paid to the selection of tlie seed-ljcaring parents, the 
niothers of tuture forests. The whole question of the 
improvement of trees, whether as producers of timber 
ornaments of gardens and parks, is 
KtiU before us. Humbloi- plants often gain hardiness 
mingling of the blood of allied species, and 
wJiat little ha.s been Icfu-iicd of the few natural 
nylirul trees known to exist shows plainly that 
It 18 within the bounds of twssibility to produce 
trees artificially l»y hybridization wliich may poaaess 
certain qualities to a greater degree than either 
of their parents. Then there is the whole question 
bf the relathm of tiie stf>ck to the graft as applied to tlie 
production of timhev-trecH to lie investigated. It is 
Known tliat certain trees, when it is desiralile 
nroduco them under certain conditions, grow 
ibuch lucre rapidly and vigorously, whi o young at 
least, if they are grafted, tluiii tliey do on their 
t^vvii roots; hut time and careful observations are 
Heeded to dotorinino what results, from economical 
points of view, will finally be obtained by such a 
Hietliod of yiropagation. 
All such questions as those are matters whicli 
Hiust one day occupy tlio attention of scientific 
oicstcrs, and which can only be solved at well 
^Tiippod forest-stations, wbic'li all governments, 
,'ybiK the example of Germany, can wisely 
stablisli ; for witliont the stability which govern- 
lonts alone can give, scientific observations, de- 
Hiandmg a longer period than the life of one 
generation of men, arc aiit to be barren of 
H«eful fruit. 
thougiiia naturally lead us to consider 
ether it is not possible to increase the number 
trees to lie grown in any particular 
Kiid tlie beauty of individuals by the appli- 
the same rules of selection of seed from 
individuals hs we now employ in 
an cabbages or radishes. Tliis seems such 
to proposition tlmt it requires no argument 
trnnu ‘t ; and yet Imw few persons who raise 
seeds pay the slightest attention to tlie 
♦ honi hcaUh of the individual which aupplioH 
hie ordinary collector of treo-seeda in 
hie facf'**f forest a seed is a seed, and 
i t is Ignored or forgottou that tho cousti- 
tutional weakness of an individual plant can be 
transmitted through its seed. Neglect to proiioilv 
select the seed-parent is doubtless tlio cause why 
many nurserv;grown trees fail before their time, 
and why seedlings raised from trees subjected in 
cultivation to more or less unnatural conditions arc 
loss desirable than those raised from individuals 
growing spontaneously under the most favorable 
natural conditions.— (/'a/Wt-rt and J^orfst. 
KX.V.UIXATIOX OF GIL OK CASSIA.* 
HV II. OTbUKUT. 
It is pointed out that oils of cassia and cinnamon 
may bo highly adulterated with resin oils and still 
pass the tests of the Genuan I^liarmacopoiia With 
nitric acid, ap. gr. 115 at ]:>o. or with 1*50 acid at 
both the pure and impure oils give crystals 
withont development of lieivt; however, witli tiie 1 ■.">() 
acid at lijo both react violently, with devciopniont 
of lieiit and witlioutthe formation of crystals; there- 
fore, the P. G. test, as neither the sp. gr. nor the 
temnerature of the acid is stated, may lead to the 
condemnation of a pure oil and rice ri’mi. Hy dc- 
terniining the “ acid nnmber,” the iidulteration can 
be detected, as the following numbers show: 
,, . , , , Acid numbers. 
Genuine oil of cassia (with (! per cent. 
non-volatile residue I pj 
Genuine oil of cassia after -10 hours’ 
aci'ation . . . . . . . . . . jg 
Genuine Ceylon oil of cinnamon (2 per 
cent, residue) . . . . . , , . y 
Genuine Ceylon oil of cinnamon (2iper 
cent, residue) . . . , . . , _ jy 
Adulterated oil of cassia (2H per cent’. 
residue) .47 
Adulterated oil of cassia (prepared from 
pure oil of cassia hy intermixing 20 per 
cent, of colophony ) . . . . , . 40 
Oolophony, sp. gr. ’I O8 450 
— /Vmriaurru/iVu/ Journa/. 
ECIIOK-S OP SCIKNCP. 
Dr. Paul Gihier, director of the New York 
I asteur Institute, has issued his report for the six 
months from February to August of this year. Of 
■11:) patients who applied for trentment, no fewer 
than .HI.') were found to bo suffering from noodlcss 
alarm, as the dogs which had bitten them were not 
mad. The remaining 70 cases were put under the 
Pasteur treatment, as the bites were really duo to 
liydrophobio animals. Only one death took place. 
That of a child five years old, who had been bitteii 
m nineteen places hy a mad dog. Three other 
persons, namely two sisters of the Aild and a man, 
who Imd been bitten by the same dog, were alsj 
treated, and arc now alive and well. 
Peat promi.scs to become a very useful article. 
In a recent number of the HaniMx Mu.wum X)r. 
\ ntates that the Germans and Swedes are 
utilising their peat bogs in the iiuinufivcture of 
naphtlia, tar, solar oil, paraffin, acetic acid, and gas. 
Moreover, the peat yelds an clastic fibre which, 
freed from dust, is employed for weaving into carpets. 
Good peat also furnishes a cellulose which is valu- 
able to paper makers. Besides serving as a whole- 
Hoine litter for live stock, it is also used to jn*esorvo 
pcrishablo goods. Meat and fish are now packed in 
peat litter for transpot between Trieste and Copen- 
liagcn. Here is a matter for tho coiisidoratioii of 
Irish landowners, n,ud peasant proprietors as well. 
The Franco-Ameriean (Jelluioae Manufacturing 
Company, of Philadelphia, have a process for making 
coconut cellulose wliic.h alworbs eight times its weight 
of water. It is intended for use in lining vessels 
and it is difficult to make a hole through it. * 
J’lie Journal of tho OameraClub for December con- 
tainsa paper by Mr. G. L. Addonbrooke, on theadvau- 
» t’liaii '/lit., xiii.. i-io«-l-J« 7 .*"llepriutedfTom Wh 
Jomi, Cham, April. 
