402 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1902. 
collections, but, for the above stated reason, could not be carried out. The carpological 
collection is a most useful feature in the Museum, and is constantly referred to, 
especially by students. It is also to be regretted that funds did not allow additions to 
the wood exhibit to be made. - This exhibit is one of great practical value, and should be 
gradually added to until the whole of the indigenous kinds are exhibited. At present 
only about half, or a little more than 600, are on view. 
In August last, in compliance with a request from the Agent-General, I sent 
from a private collection of small samples of our indigenous woods, 527 kinds to 
Mr. Herbert Stone, of Birmingham, England, the well-known authority on woods. 
These were required for preparing specimens for microscopical examination for a work 
on. the woods of the Sarl which Mr. Stone is preparing. It will be easily understood 
that such a work will prove of inestimable value to timber merchants the world over, 
and it was an opportunity of assisting the author, and at the same time benefiting the 
State, which I thought should not be lost, and I was glad, therefore, to allow the 
small samples required to be taken from my collection. The only expense incurred 
by the Department was for cutting, packing, and forwarding to the Agent-General. T 
am pleased to say that Mr. Stone was highly delighted with the samples, and wrote 
me word that he fel not received such a collection from any other part of the world. 
So anxious is Mr. Stone that the woods should be correct to systematic name that he 
refuses all samples unless they have been collected under the direction of a botanist. 
The European timber merchants have also in many cases had to insist upon the 
systematie names accompanying samples sent to them from the various colonies, as the 
vernacular ones cannot be Hag pele upon, the same vernacular often being given to 
very dissimilar woods. ith regard to this matter Mr. Stone writes :— 
“ With reference to the duplication of names (vernacular), some have been employed. 
for so many different kinds that I look upon them as a burden to be borne 
by the investigator, but of no value in any other respect.” With 
regard to noxious weeds, the drought has had the effect of keeping them 
in check. Here I may be allowed to say a word or two regarding the 
prickly pear. This plant has for many years been considered a great nuisance 
on pasture lands; but, during the present severe drought, stockowners are looking 
more favourably upon this formidable usurper of the pasture, and are going to some 
trouble and expense in obtaining the fleshy stems for food for their stock. This is 
praiseworthy in one point of view, as, by mixing the bruised stems with dry food, the 
general stock of food may be considerably increased. However, it must be borne in 
mind that Queensland is one of the best pasture countries in the world, and, although 
our numerous grasses and fodder-herbs have had a much longer sleep than could have 
been desired, the rain will come, and then these plants of the former fruitful seasons 
will reappear. But if through the carting of the prickly pear from place to place its 
seed be more than usually disseminated, I fear that in years to come the cost of 
keeping this plant in check will be more than the pastoralist will be able to cope with. 
The prickly pear is an abundant seed-bearer, and the seeds pass through animals of 
various kinds uninjured, and I fear that the seeds are destroyed in only a few of the 
modes adopted in the preparation of the plant for food. ‘Ihus attention should, in my 
opinion, be drawn to the present distribution of seed, and I would most earnestly 
recommend the very greatest care being taken ia using the plant to keep in check, as 
far as possible, the distribution of seed. 
With regard to the suspected poisonous plants, the scarcity of food has caused 
stock to browse upon plants which they would not have touched in ordinary seasons. 
Many specimens of this class have been received. Some of these have been of a 
poisonous character; but of the great number of specimens sent in for identification 
and report, the really injurious ones have been few. 
The blight fungi received for identification have consisted chiefly of well-known 
species, and L should not have referred to them here had it not been for the destrue- 
tion whieh has been caused to the banana crop in the Cairns district by Glawosporium 
musarum, Cke. and M. This species was first observed by me on some bananas 
offered for sale in Brisbane at the latter end of 1887, and was described by Dr. Cooke 
and Mr. George Massee from specimens I sent to them at that time. The effect this 
fungus seemed to have upon the fruit when I first met with it was to cause it to 
become dry and worthless. Probably the samples I then obtained had been for some 
daysin the shop before 1 noticed them. Those brought me from Cairns some months 
ago, instead of being dry, were found to contain a quantity of treacle-like substance 
in the centre. I was, therefore, in some doubt as toits being identical with the above- 
mentioned species, but Mr. Massee, to whom I forwarded a sample, sends me word 
that the two are identical. It is most destructive to the banana crop, and all the 
diseased fruit should be destroyed, and, as far as possible, not allowed to be shipped 
from port to port for sale, and so spread the disease. 
