H3 



isolated plantations on the North known as the Toco district, and 

 a few around Port-of-Spain at Cocorite and at Laventille. 



7. Visits were made to all the districts except Toco where, the 

 conditions were reported as being similar to those in some parts 

 of Mayaro. 



8. It was observed that soil conditions in most cases were fairly- 

 favourable, although much more could be done in the matter of 

 systematic drainage and careful cultivation. Reference, however, 

 will be made to different conditions later. 



9. From the above, it will be seen that the coco-nut industry 

 of Trinidad is one of great importance and therefore it is reason- 

 able to expect that any disease or diseases of the coco-nut 

 palms, that are likely to become widely distributed, should 

 cause considerable anxiety, especially when it was reported that 

 of 25,000 trees on one plantation in the Cedros district over 3,000 

 trees have been destroyed within the last twelve months and many 

 more were showing signs of disease. 



10. During the inquiry, three distinct diseases of coco-nuts 

 were found, two of which are apparently due to the attacks of 

 fungi, and one, until further information can be obtained, must 

 be said to be of bacterial origin. One fungus attacks the roots 

 and appears also in the petioles, and for convenience of identifica- 

 tion the disease caused by it will be referred to as the 'Root 

 disease.' The other fungus attacks the leaves, and this disease 

 will be described as the ' Leaf disease.' The bacteria on the 

 other hand give rise to rotting of the terminal bud and this will 

 be spoken of as the 'Bud-rot.' 



11. Besides these diseases, insect attacks were noticed on three 

 estates — a scale insect attack on the leaves on an estate in Mayaro 

 district, a beetle attack on an estate in La Brea district and locusts 

 on an estate at Icacos. My chief object at present is to submit 

 a short and simple account of the diseases that have been 

 investigated and to suggest remedial measures as far as possible. 



12. It has been found necessary to introduce certain scientific 

 terms in the body of this report but the wording has been as 

 simple as possible. In order that the destruction caused by fungi 

 may be more clearly understood, it should be pointed out that fungi 

 can roughly be classed into three groups: — (i) Forms which live 

 only on living plants and animals (parasites) : (2) Forms which 

 live only on dead vegetable or animal matter (saprophytes), and 

 (3) Forms which live on either dead matter or on living plants or 

 animals (facultative parasites). Some of the fungi mentioned as 

 attacking coco-nuts belong to this latter class and whereas the 

 living plant must be looked upon as a machine, (and any fungus 

 that is capable of attacking and killing its roots, must reduce the 

 amount of water and food taken up by the plant from the soil, 

 and any fungus, that kills leaf tissues, must upset the normal 

 functions of the leaves), it is apparent that by continued action 

 parasitic fungi on a healthy plant interfere with the normal 

 physiology of the plant and ultimately cause its death, while the 

 presence of large heaps of diseased material on a plantation may 



