INVESTIGATIONS OF THE DISEASE. 27 



culture. He reported that the tree was probably diseased by the 

 bud-rot, without, however, making any detailed experiments to 

 prove the etiology of this disease. 



Besides the work done by the above stations some investigations of 

 the coconut troubles have been made by planters in various districts, 

 but no descriptions of such observations have been published. 



. INVESTIGATIONS OF THE DISEASE BY THE WRITER, 



In January, 1907, the writer made a trip to the West Indies to con- 

 tinue the investigation of the coconut bud-rot begun by Dr. Smith. 

 In order to obtain a thorough knowledge of the conditions under 

 which the disease occurs and to ascertain whether it is the same 

 malady in all the coconut districts, most of the important regions 

 were visited and studied with care. In 1908 the investigations were 

 continued in Cuba throughout almost the entire year, and again in 

 1909 and 1910 visits were made to the same island. 



In Cuba the coconut industry is limited almost entirely to the 

 Baracoa district, at the eastern end of the island (fig. 1). Here the 

 stretch of land from Moa, upon the coast west of Baracoa, to Yumuri, 

 on the east, is devoted largely to this crop. Coconuts are raised, not 

 only on the coast, but also 1 or 2 leagues inland, where they are often 

 interspersed with other crops. 



From Moa to the River La Lisa there is at present no sign of the 

 disease. The trees here appear healthy, although it is reported that 

 some 20 years previous considerable of this trouble was experienced. 

 In fact, one of the estates from which only 8,000 nuts per month are 

 now gathered is said to have produced 70,000 per month in former 

 times. Between the River La Lisa and the River Duaba the bud-rot 

 has caused considerable havoc; cases are common along the shore 

 plain, and also on the hills at an altitude of 60 meters or more. On 

 the west shore of the Duaba it is widespread, but on the east shore 

 and eastward to the outskirts of Baracoa, a distance of H leagues, 

 cases are rare. Coconut groves to the west of Duaba, shoreward, 

 are in a neglected condition, and farther inland trees are tliicldy inter- 

 spersed with bananas, cacao, and taro. In contrast to this coconut 

 groves to the east are under clean cultivation and are not interspersed 

 with other crops. A few cases appear in this clean district, as would 

 be expected when it is so close to an infected area. The manager of 

 these estates says that in 1906 forty trees appeared diseased, but by 

 treatment he cured them all, though three cases recently reappeared. 

 In a large grove immediately on the west shore of the harbor of 

 Baracoa, on an estate called Jaiticito, there were in 1908, according 

 to the owner, some 60 or more incipient cases, i. e., merely the drop- 

 ping of the nuts without the destruction of the crown, but these were 



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