58 HISTORY AND CAUSE OF THE COCONUT BUD-ROT. 



arsenic poisoning, as they were out of reach of the Paris green. Spotting was very 

 abundant. What could cause such a wholesale spotting at such places is a puzzling 

 question. One sword and five leaves were left, and the middle ones besides. The 

 outermost leaves had perfectly clear, undiseased, outside bases; but up toward the 

 strainer were a few water-soaked spots. On the last leaf cut off a water-soaked area 

 appeared as though following the distribution of the Paris green. 



August 5: The tree remained about the same; 1 green sword was visible. 



October 21: The outer sword was dead, and the middle leaves were also dead. The 

 upper part of the crown was broken and blown over. 



Tree No. 105. 



March 7: Eleven good spikes of nuts; an excellent tree. 



May 28: Same. 



June 9: Had 14 fallen immature nuts. 



July 8: About 35 fallen immature nuts; 7 spikes holding a few large nuts; above 

 were about 12 spikes bearing no nuts. All the small ones had fallen. The outermost 

 sword was dead, brown, and unopened. There were 4 green, healthy swords. The 

 middle leaves were healthy. The tree had a crown of over 20 leaves, the lowermost 

 circle of which was turning yellow. Applied about 250 grams of dry Paris green at 

 the base of the leaves and below the good spikes. 



July 21: There were 4 spikes, 1 brown sword, 2 green swords, and 3 pendent brown 

 leaves. The lower leaves were yellow. 



August 5: The central leaves were dry, bent over, and dead. The tree hopelessly 

 diseased. 



The treatment witli Paris green offers no results different from the 

 others. All applications failed to check the disease. Undoubtedly 

 the criticism will be made that there is great possibihty of the poison 

 having hastened the progress of the disease, but no direct evidence 

 appears to support such a supposition. The poison had no definite 

 effect on the tissues with which it came in immediate contact. It is 

 probable that the cutinous covering of the epidermis prevented to 

 a large extent the corrosion, which might be expected. Moreover, 

 the disease on those trees on which the experiments were made did 

 not progress any faster than on adjacent untreated trees of which full 

 records have been kept. It must be borne in mind that the appHca- 

 tion of these poisons was made rather to note the effect than with any 

 hope of curing the disease. Such treatments have been made by 

 planters in various districts, and the experiment was made to ascer- 

 tain what possible effect was to be expected. In the light of the 

 knowledge of the arrangement of the leaves at the base of the crown, 

 it is beUeved to be a physical irapossibihty for external apphcations 

 to reach the parts affected by the disease without at the same time 

 seriously injuring the healthy tissues. It is thought that these appli- 

 cations might serve partly to arrest the progress of the infection — to 

 render the condition of development less suitable — but it is certain 

 that they could not absolutely check it. 



High hopes have been entertained of another treatmert, that of 

 the so-called flaming. So far as public records go this treatment was 



228 



