4(\2 RKl'OJiT OK OKFK^E OF KXPKKIMKNT STATIONS. 



iiifoctod li'iivos soon hhu-kciu'd and aftci" a I inic dropped. No trees 

 had IxMMi (Mitindy killod hy it, l»nt all within the intcctrd area (soinc- 

 ihin^- h'ss than an acre) wcri' badly injnr('<l. It seems to he spreading 

 rai)idly in concentric circles, and it was strongly advised that all the 

 infected trees be cut down and ))urMed. The disease was not observed 

 at any other })oint, and it is hoped that it is not widely distributed. 

 If it should ever become prevalent it could doubtless be held in check 

 by spraying with Bordeaux mixture, but for occasionrd sporadic out- 

 l)reaks the cutting and burning of infected trees seems better and 

 safei'. The name given above was suggested l)y the close resend)lance 

 of this disease to one that occurs (|uit(> frequently on pear and other 

 fruit trees in southern (i(M)rgia, Alabama, and nortlu-rn Florida. 

 During the season of midsunmier rains this fungus spreads out over 

 the twigs and foliage nuich as with this coffee fungus, l)ut during the 

 winter it assumes the form of brown sclerotium-like masses on the 

 older twigs. The rainy season had ])egun when the coffee fungus Wiis 

 seen in Porto Kico. AVhether it forms Sclerotia during the dry sea- 

 son or simply exists in the form of the thick brown strands noted 

 above could not be determined. 



CoifW root rot. — On one estate in the hills east of Mavaguez a serious 

 root disease of coffee was o])served. The roots are gradually killed by 

 the growth of the delicate white m^^celium of what is prot)ably some 

 hymenoniycetous fungus. This spieads slowly underground from 

 tree to tree. Unfortunately, the " guaba,"" one of the leguminous trees 

 most wideh' planted as a coffee shade, is attacked ])y the same disease. 

 In fact, it seems moie susceptible than the coffee, since the diseased 

 areas often seem to start from a dead or dving "guaba" tree as a cen- 

 ter. Root diseases of this class are very difficult to combat. It may 

 be necessarv to entirely a})andon the cultivation of coffee on badly 

 infested areas. If so, it becomes a matter of prime importance to 

 know what alternate crop could ])e safely planted on such infested 

 lands. Where the disease is conrined to certain sn)all, well-defined 

 areas it can be kept from spreading b}^ digging and keeping open a 

 deep trench around the infested areas, going deep enough to get well 

 below the lateral spread of the roots. All trees within the area should 

 be dug up and l)urned and no others planted for a period of j'ears, 

 since such fungi are usually very persistent, living on the dead roots, 

 etc., in the soil. The disease was only observed in this one localit}', 

 but reports from various parties indicate that it is somcAvhat widely 

 scattered. 



Mealy hug at the root. — On examining the roots of certain feeble- 

 looking trees they were found to be infested by some species of mealy 

 bug. Lack of time prevented a sufficiently thorough investigation to 

 determine whether such cases are abundant enough to cause material 



