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tree that has become attacked by the disease is sooner or later 

 surrounded by a large number of others showing signs of the 

 disease. In one portion of the Cedros district, the disease has 

 been noticed making its way gradually into other fields of coco- 

 nuts further south. It is, therefore, impossible to believe that 

 the large areas of coco-nuts in Cocorite, Laventille, Guapo, 

 Cedros, and the interlands of Mayaro were planted with immature 

 nuts. 



Moreover, the fungus found in the roots and in the petioles of 

 diseased trees is capable of attacking vigorous trees ; but any- 

 thing which tended to reduce their vitality would considerably 

 help along the fungus. Circumstances which retard growth, both 

 of the root and shoot system, give the root fungus a much better 

 chance. This was conspicuously brought to my notice on a por- 

 tion of an estate in the Cedros district. A low-lying hollow 

 showed that a large quantity of water was present in the soil. 

 Such a condition was unfavourable to good development of the 

 trees : they were stunted in growth and showed that root develop- 

 ment was not very large. The clayey impervious nature of the 

 soil suggested that an elaborate system of drainage was needed 

 in order to procure the aeration necessary for vigorous plant 

 growth. In this hollow most of the trees had died out very 

 rapidly and the disease had soon spread from this portion of the 

 estate to other parts where the soil conditions were much more 

 favourable. Trees on sandy soil on higher ridges were often 

 noticed to be attacked, but it is generally in low-lying undrained 

 hollows that the disease is the worst. This is also seen in the 

 Guapo and Mayaro districts. 



These examples should suffice to show how natural peculiarities 

 of an estate and other physical features affect the disease, but 

 these alone cannot be sufficient to cause the death of the trees, 

 as is often urged. The characters of the soil affect the growth of 

 the plant and they may also affect the fungus and therefore it 

 is necessary to keep the condition of the soil as good as possible, 

 in order that it may be favourable to the growth of the plant. 



It is also commonly stated that lack of cultivation and manur- 

 ing is the cause of the trouble, and it should not be forgotten 

 that every effort to improve the condition of the soil and render 

 it better adapted to the healthy and vigorous growth of the root 

 system may be a blow at the fungus, for some of the new roots 

 would certainly go to replace those destroyed by the parasite. 



The presence of a parasitic fungus in the roots and in the 

 petioles must, therefore, be held to be the cause of the disease 

 and improvements in cultivation, drainage, manuring, etc., should 

 be practised as they possibly may affect the disease indirectly by 

 rendering the coco-nut plants more capable of withstanding its 

 attacks. 



19. The distribution of the disease may approximately be seen 

 by looking at the map of Trinidad. The most damage appears to 

 have been done in the Guapo and Cedros districts. 



The older planters of coco-nuts seem to be familiar with the 



