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absolutely commoner in carefully weeded estates than in weedy 
spots. It cannot stand competition with other weeds, 
A very troublesome weed in the damper parts of the Botanic 
Garden is the African Sparganophorus Vaillanti. It seems to seed 
very fast, and when hoed out of the beds comes up again very 
quickl}\ How it got into Singapore is not known, and it does 
not seem to have spread to any great extent, though very 
abundant where it occurs. 
In conclusion, one may say that wherever there is cultivation 
there will be weeds of some kind, plants which are not wanted 
and which become a nuisance. Some, like the Lalang, are more 
difficult to eradicate than others. But it is practically impossible 
to foretell whether in any given country any plant will become’ 
a nuisance or not. A plant which gives no trouble in one place 
may be a great trouble in another, and vice verm. All depends on 
the competition with other weeds it meets with, and its power of 
reproducing itself by seed, which in many places varies for no 
reason that can be accounted for. 
The only thing that one can certainly say is that shrubby weeds 
are usually more difficult to eradicate than herbaceotls ones, and 
that those which propagate themselves readily by underground 
suckers, or tubers, are more difficult to extirpate than annual, or 
short-lived plants which reproduce by seed only. 
There is, I have found, a considerable variety of opinion among 
planters as to the special demerits of various weeds. One con- 
siders the white-weed {Ageratum conyzoides ) the most objection- 
able, another dislikes still more Portulacca , in another estate a 
kind of sow thistle (Gynura) is most strongly objected to. All 
agree, however, in the injury caused by Lalang, and in sandy 
places, where it can grow, the Victoria grass, Panicum repens. 
There is no cure for weeds on ground required for cultivation, 
for any weed killer that will kill weeds will kill any other plant 
of an equally high order. The weeds must be hoed out, and it is 
important to do so before the seeds are ripe, or they will fall 
when being hoed up and the weeds soon re-appear. 
A COFFEE LEAF FUNGUS. 
Mr. Prior sends some leaves and berries of Coffee affected by 
an unpleasant looking disease in the form of a mould. The leaves 
are dead and black and covered all over the back with a fine 
white mycelium. The twigs are also covered with it in thicker 
strands, no fruit is to be seen on it. The berries vet unripe have 
large brown blotches of decay extending through the husk, and 
depressed on the outer surface and covered also with this fine 
mycelium. He states that it is doing much damage. I have 
known this fungus for very many years, and have never yet been 
fortunate enough to find its fruit. When the late Mr. Robertson, 
