INVESTIGATIONS OF THE DISEASE. 35 



removed from Porto Rico and in districts from which seed coconuts 

 are sometimes brouglit into this island, made it eminently desirable 

 to prove that this district was free from this disease, and when this 

 was proved, to ask for legislative control of importation of seed 

 coconuts into the island.^ The fact that a former botanist of the 

 agricultural station in Porto Rico and a former agent in charge of 

 the station both expressed the belief that the disease was present, 

 led the writer to examine carefully all of the groves on the island. 

 In investigations which the writer made in 1907 around almost 

 the entire coast and along the railroads no cases were found. The 

 only part not visited at that time was between Ponce and Humacao. 

 More recently, in December, 1910, an examination has been made 

 of the groves between Ponce and Guayama and again between 

 San Juan and Barceloneta, but no cases of bud-rot were found. 



In 1910 the writer saw five or six trees on the coast between Anasco 

 and Corsica which had very much the general appearance of bud-rot. 

 Closer examination in the present year (1911) showed the diseased 

 tissues to be somewhat similar to that of bud-rot but not typical. 

 Further studies have been made by Mr. G. L. Fawcett, of the May- 

 aguez Experiment Station, but the presence of true bud-rot has not 

 as yet been demonstrated. 



A number of the trees in various places appeared to be in an un- 

 healthy condition ; leaves were yellowing or broken, or the lower ones 

 had fallen, but in no case did it appear like bud-rot. In the groves 

 along the north and west sides of the island at frequent intervals trees 

 were found from which lower leaves had fallen, but the remaining 

 fronds were green and to all appearances healthy, and in man}^ cases 

 nuts were still produced. A number of trees were also found whose 

 crowns had rotted off entirely. These trees were always isolated 

 cases and did not resemble those affected by bud-rot, but rather sug- 

 gested insect work. 



Coconut groves extend at intervals all along the coast (fig. 7). 

 An almost continuous strip of them extends eastward from San 

 Juan to Loisa and beyond to Luquillo. Thence beyond Cape San 

 Juan down the coast to Naguabo the groves are very few. From 

 Naguabo to Humacao another extensive grove extends along the 

 beach. From Humacao westward to Ponce coconuts are reported 

 to be infrequent. From Ponce westward small groves appear occa- 

 sionally until the west coast is reached, where an extensive and almost 

 continuous grove extends from the southwest and northward alonfir 

 the coast to Mayaguez, and on northward to AguadiUa. This west 



' In 1907, Dr. Erwin F. Smith drew up a bill for the Porto Rico Island Legislature, looking to the preven- 

 tion of the introduction of this disease, but in the form in which it finally passed the law is of no value for 

 the protection of the island. Fortunately the legislature of 1910-11 passed a bill which covers the ground 

 quite satisfactorily. 



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