32 THE BUREAU OF SCIENCE 



of the Philippine coconut will continue to increase, and intelligent 

 control must be based upon careful scientific investigation. The 

 results of our work on the subject have been published from time 

 to time as various phases were completed. These have included 

 the water relation of the coconut palm, the relation of the coconut 

 and the production of coconut oil and that between the location 

 of the palm and oil content of the nut, the hydrolysis and sub- 

 sequent destruction of fat, methods of drying, insect pests and 

 preventive measures, the influence of sprouting on the copra 

 and oil, methods of analysis, effects of feeding copra cake as 

 cattle food, the purification of coconut oil and its detection as an 

 adulterant in other oils, and the deterioration of copra during 

 storage. To a large extent it is possible to determine beforehand 

 from a simple examination of the vegetation in connection with 

 the recorded distribution of rainfall, whether or not coconuts 

 will thrive in a particular locality. Experiments have proved 

 that the coconut tree can be kept practically free from the attacks 

 of its only serious pests, the umig (Oryctes rhinoceros) and the 

 weevil (Rhynchophorus ferrugineus) , by keeping the coconut 

 groves clear of dead and decaying trees and rubbish and by 

 allowing the dead leaf-petioles to fall naturally. The work is 

 being continued, and results will be published as they become 

 available. 



49. Sugar. — A press bulletin has been issued which shows the 

 financial loss occasioned by the harvesting of unripe sugar cane 

 and which demonstrates that an actual loss can be converted into 

 a material gain if proper instructions are followed. Tests of 

 sugar cane made in India with regard to the loss in value of the 

 crop due to the disease "red-rot" show a diminution of 45 per 

 cent in available sugar. This Bureau has demonstrated that 

 red-rot is more or less prevalent in the Philippines, and the 

 attention of planters has been called to the fact that. they should 

 take advantage of the data and be careful to select seed cane and 

 weed out that which has become diseased. Sugar cane is sin- 

 gularly free from pests except when a region is temporarily 

 infested by locusts. In certain regions where intensive culture 

 has been started in recent years, the leaf hopper has proved very 

 destructive at times, but suggestions from this Bureau as to 

 cleaner methods of harvesting, together with allowing certain 

 parasites of these pests to develop before the cane is cut, have 

 undoubtedly done much to lessen the destruction of sugar cane. 

 Other pests which may develop in importance are being studied. 

 Reliable information concerning the conditions of agricultural 



