30 HISTORY AND CAUSE OF THE COCONUT BUD-EOT. 



According to the report of the planters about Port Antonio, there 

 was no indication of the presence of bud-rot at the extreme eastern 

 end of Jamaica, so that no inspection of these groves was made at 

 tliis time by the ^vriter. A recent report (p. 24) indicates its presence 

 in this district, although apparently in a mild form. No cases were 

 apparent between Port Antonio and Annotto Bay. Between An- 

 notto Bay and the Parish of St. James no disease has been reported, 

 but in the Parishes of St. James, Hanover, and Westmoreland, the 

 three extreme western parishes of the island, there is abundance of 

 the bud-rot. On the road from Montpelier to Savanna la Mar, a few 

 trees (at Petersfield and Amity Cross) have the typical appearance 

 of this disease. Occasional cases appear at distant intervals from 

 Savanna la Mar along the coast to Green Isle, and on to Lucea, also 

 still farther to Montego Bay, and, according to report, a few kilo- 

 meters to the northeast of ^lontego Bay. The disease was said to 

 be very bad at Negril Point. In most of these places, however, the 

 diseased trees had been cut out and destroyed. In one grove just to 

 the south of Montego Bay there were a number of typical cases. 

 Some of these trees were cut down for the writer and showed in every 

 way the symptoms of the Cuban disease. 



The conditions of culture in Jamaica are, as a rule, very good, in 

 great contrast to the conditions in Cuba. The underbrush is kept out, - 

 the fallen leaves and other debris are burned up, and the planting of 

 other crops between the trees is little practiced. Bananas are often 

 kept running until the coconuts come into full bearing, when they are 

 cut out. Thus, in every way the Jamaican planter has much better 

 conditions under which to combat the disease. It is reported that 

 in past years the bud-rot has done considerable damage. It is certain, 

 however, that the disease is now well under control. It occurs chiefly 

 along a stretch of about 20 leagues of the coast line and for the most 

 part in isolated cases, probably not over 50 cases existing at the time 

 of this investigation. In one grove at Negril Point, as the result of 

 the neglect of the trees, the disease was allowed to progress. This 

 was the only seriously affected grove in the district. In Jamaica, 

 then, the hvd-rot has been put under control by Iceeping the diseased 

 trees cut down. Wliether or not some conditions might arise favor- 

 able to the rapid spread of the infection from a single tree it is im- 

 possible to say. It is believed that the few planters in Jamaica who 

 have the disease in their coconut groves do not cut down on an aver- 

 age more than one-tenth of 1 per cent of their trees annually. It is a 

 question whether the value of these trees could begin to pay for any 

 treatment of them. 



In April, 1907, the writer visited all of the coconut-growing dis- 

 tricts of Trinidad. The industry- in this island is very extensive, 



228 



