79 



and Thelophoraceae were taken on logwood stumps and logs, 

 but in no case could their connection with this root rot be satis- 

 factorily proven. Whatever the nature of the fungus, leaving 

 stumps of trees that have died from this disease in the neighbour- 

 hood of living trees is clearly dangerous. Dying trees should be 

 dug and the roots burned as soon as the disease can be detected. 

 Where it is confined to certain small definite areas as is often the 

 case, it would be advisable to dig a trench three feet deep just out- 

 side of the diseased area in order to prevent its spread under- 

 ground to the roots of healthy trees. On a few of the estates ex- 

 amined the disease was so widely scattered that this method of 

 treatment would not be practicable. Here it would seem best to 

 clear the infested tract entirely of logwood, marketing such as was 

 sufficiently mature, and allowing the land to grow up in pimento 

 and limes, or reserving it for pasturage or cultivation. It should 

 be mentioned in this connection that pimento trees are said to die 

 from a similar root rot in some parts of the island. If this should 

 prove to be identical with the logwood root rot, pimento would 

 not be available as an alternative crop. 



This root rot seems to spread slowly. One old logwood chip- 

 per assured me that trees had been dying for thirty-five years on 

 a spot that he pointed out. This area does not now include over 

 three or four acres. This would indicate that by vigorous mea- 

 sures it could be controlled. The disease was found on various 

 kinds of soils and under moisture conditions varying from dry 

 rocky hill sides to the margin of swamps. In some cases the dis- 

 eased areas were on spots where the soil was rich and deep and 

 the moisture and drainage condition perfect. It was not observed 

 on the heavy clay lands towards the eastern end of the island but 

 whether this was due to the absence of infection or to the char- 

 acter of the soil could not be determined. 



n. By Dr. e. Bucher. 



In driving through Westmoreland one cannot but notice that the 

 logwood blight investigated some time ago by Prof. Earle of the 

 New York Botanical .Garden* is rapidly spreading. Too many 

 pastures look as if the logwood trees, young and old, had been 

 singed by fire from the top downwards. Prof. Earle pronounced 

 the blight to be a contagious root disease. If not attended to, it 

 will do serious damage to the logwood industry in that part of the 

 island. 



Logwood growers will do well to remember the disastrous ex- 

 perience of European wine growers with phylloxera. That insect 

 pest appeared to be harmless enough at first, until it spread so 

 fast that it was hopeless to cope with it. The best vineyards of 

 France were laid bare. Those who had thought themselves to be 

 the wealthiest cultivators suddenly found themselves to be almost 



* Now Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Cuba. Ediior. 



