1577 
"Indigenous Indian cane of the type of the Jap- 
anese forage cane which seems to be immune to the mo- 
saic disease which apparently attacks more or less 
severely all other sugar cane types." (CO. Townsend.) 
Solarium tuberosum ( Solanaceae ) , 50307. Potato. Prom 
Teteko, New Zealand. Tubers presented by Mr. Charles 
G. Hallett. "Tubers of a peculiar potato that grows 
in this district. I was given one little tuber by a 
government overseer of rabblters, who had taken some 
tubers from the spring In which they growand had grown 
them in his garden for a year or so. He assured me 
that frost does not affect the plants when growing in 
this spring. The tubers I am forward tng you grew in my 
garden from the one I received from the rabblter, so 
they have been out of water for two or three genera- 
tions," (Hallett.) 
"On the northern side of the Rangltalki River, iri 
the Bay of Plenty district, opposite the old Maori 
settlement Walohau, where a splendid spring of fresh 
water issues from the base of a hill and flows between 
banks heavily fringed with watercress to the near-by 
river, a remarkable instance of a plant forsaking its 
normal environment may be observed. There watercress 
and potato plants flourish together , and tubers are 
found among the cress roots from 12 Inches to 18 inches 
under water. Some of the tubers are almost In mid- 
stream, others may be found snuggled Into the bank 
fiber, and the foliage of cress and potato mingle on the 
water surface. It may be that the plants are dependent 
for their growth upon the earthy particles held by 
the cress roots, and also that there Is some fertiliz- 
ing quality In the water which drains from the great 
volcanic area. The potatoes when cooked are not at all 
mealy, but waxy. They grow to a fair size, and are fit 
for eating as early as August. 
"I forwarded some of the tubers for testing at the 
Moumahakl Experimental Farm last season. The manager's 
report on the trial is as follows: 
"'Some of the "water-potato" tubers were planted 
on August 31, 1916, In the potato variety trials, hav- 
ing the same treatment, soli, and manures as the sixty- 
six other varieties planted on the same date. The po- 
tato In question came away vigorously, and is distinct 
in foliage, with a large blue flower, bearing seed- 
apples naturally. The crop was lifted on February 6, 
1917, and was free from disease. The yield was as 
follows : marke table tubers ( table and seed ), at the rate 
