GENERAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE DISEASE. 13 



With these considerations as a basis for their selection and as pre- 

 limmary to the writer's own observations, the followmg extracts 

 from earUer writers are made, and in order to avoid misinterpreta- 

 tion tlio exact statements are inchided. 



Dr. Federico Galvez, hi a letter^ dated Havana, January 5, 

 1886, writes that when he returned to Cuba after an absence of more 

 than 10 years, the place of his birth and childhood, Matanzas, pre- 

 sented a very different appearance in that all of the once beautiful 

 coconut trees had been completely destroyed. Thousands of these 

 dead trees were seen by him. The same conditions prevailed hi 

 Havana. Of the extensive coconut groves of Marianao and Jesus 

 del Monte only a few isolated cases now remained standing. In his 

 exact words : 



Cuando volvl a Cuba despues de una aueencia de mas de diez anos, fui a visitar los 

 campos donde habia pasado mi niiiez, y tambien a mi ciudad natal, Matanzas, y tanto 

 en esta como en aquellos, me impresiono dolorosamente ver todos los cocoteros que 

 tan frondosos habia dejado, completamente destruidos. -^ * * 



En los ali-ededores de la Habana sucedia lo mismo; de los extensos cocalea de 

 Marianao y Jesus del Monte solo quedaban en pie algunos drboles aislados. * * * 

 Miles de cocoteros muertos dm-ante este tiempo ban eido examinados. 



Sr. Antonio Bachiller, in a letter^ dated Havana, January 26, 

 1886, stated that he had examuied many trees dead and dymg in 

 several towns near Havana, and in none of the trees did he find the 

 insect, or any sign of it, which was said to cause the trouble. He 

 did find signs of putrefaction m the cro-wai. To quote exactly : 



He hecho abrir en Guanabacoa, en Marianao, en Cimarrones, en Camarioca, muchos 

 di-boles ya muertos 6 en estado de morirse, y en ninguno se ha encontrado la larva del 

 Bupuesto cucarachon, ni sus huellas 6 galerias. * * * Solo en el penacho habia 

 eenales de putrefaccion con sus consequencias: alii he hecho recojer hidrofilos comunes, 

 agua fetida y cucarachas. 



One other letter from among the numerous ones published at this 

 time is selected for reference. Raphael del Pino, in a letter^ dated 

 Hacienda Herradura, Phiar del Rio, January 25, 1886, says that he 

 lost on his plantation more than 100 trees, all small ones from 1 to 1^ 

 years old. To quote from him: 



He perdido mas de cien matas en esta hacienda. * * * Esas clen matas de 

 coco eran todas pequenas, de un aiio a ano y medio las que mas edad tenian. 



From these letters, and many that have not been quoted, it is evi- 

 dent that a serious disease of coconuts has been present in Cuba for 

 many years, according to Dr. Federico Galvez, at least some years 

 prior to 1886. From Bachiller's mention of putrefaction it is more 



1 Balmaseda, F. J. Tesoro del Agricultor Cubano, vol. 2, 2d ed., 1893, p. 154. 



2 Balmaseda, F. J. Op. cit., p. 132. 



3 Pino, Raphael del. El Pais, Jan. 29, 1886. Reprinted by Balmaseda, F. J., in Tesoro del Agricultor 

 Cubano, vol. 2, 2d ed., 1893, p. 135. 



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