ed to this thin stratum* fhs tissue or the dead roots m s colored a 
' h~i 
deep purple or bluit*. "blnck. The color was q»itc characteristic, and 
always the sang, bo natter to wrhat apfoi.es of tree the roots helonircd. 
If a fresh living trvzik of r. tror rag hurled in the rail its U s or awid, 
in a Tery short tine, he stalncd t-othe eharsotcrlntic color. 
T-ie prevailing type of 3S&truaidLnros tree in tills r^ion i? • no with 
an abundance of stilt roots, i*e* f instead of having the ro • : e entl; cl^ 
hurled in the soil, iml a single trunk emanating from the ground, that 
trunk , berm!? at eo-c dirt-ru ‘ . - . He iujyf-v- oi ?ne rr-- id, cud 
Is supported by maser or & stilt roots, which arch out like flying huUresr% 
(soe photograph; * An examine U n of gyl^r tree?? of this type sh, - ' in¬ 
variably that the tlsaia of the stilt roots was alive and sp- frankly 
healthy above ground, hut entirely dead from the surface of the ground 
downward* Such shrubs and pioats as are able to restrict their roots to 
the very top soil can grow here without seri.ms trouble, Hut if thy 
chance tc root deeply their roots are sure to be killed* This war fount 
to He true of such sturdy plants es Hordylb nc, Psidiuia, md Santana. 
A ca “afully conducted field m& laboratory study demonsfcrabed with 
absolute certainty that the death of the trees ras not due to parasitic 
fungi or insects* dhlle further imr^- ti get ions proved that the trees end 
vines died an the result of the killing of their roots by poisonous chem¬ 
ical eompeunds in the roil. 
The soil t\ 'His rM r * riot 1® forssei, ad it is IhrousjKJu t ibe Hov-sdirsn 
Islands, by the disintegro ito ! H of basaltic laws rich in iron. The upper 
portion has the © ns latency of a fine sticky clay, while the deeper por¬ 
tion is much stiff or, The mechanical condition of the soil is such that 
it permits of ve*y Blow movement of water throng its inter at ices. The 
soil is more or less acid, and when the deeper soil is exposed it liber- 
j # ' i 
v - - 
