1921.\ COCONUT DISEASES. 109 



solution of the juice from tobacco presses liave been successfully used 

 and probably the commercial extract of tobacco sold as Black-leaf 40 

 would also be effective. 



A stem disease has recently been met with which results in the rind 

 becoming infested with shot borer beetles and is more or less definitely 

 associated with the production of tears of hard guni at various points on 

 the surface. This affection seems to lead to gradual failure of the leaves, 

 but one or two cases of at any rate partial recovery liave been seen. 

 An affection which may be the same as this was reported some time 

 ago by a planter in Tobago. The nature of the disease remains to be 

 discovered. 



It might appear from this report) that coconut diseases were seriously 



on the increase in the Colony. I do not think that this is necessarily 



the case except so far that there is a larger area under the crop, but 



rather that with advancing knowledge more discrimination is being 



applied to the cases which occur. At the same time it cannot be denied 



that) losses which in the aggregate are very considerable are taking 



place, and in a few individual plantations are so heavy as to threaten 



the existence of coconut cultivation. 



W.N. 



Seedling Canes- 



In 1917 it was decided that we should raise our own seedling canes 

 instead of depending on other colonies for obtaining new varieties. 

 The work started then has been continued yearly. 



From tlie first batch of seedlings raised in 1917 and planted out in 

 1918 48 varieties were selected for their combined field characters and 

 analytical results for further trial. 



The detailed analytical results of these selected varieties have been 

 published [Bull. Dept. Agr., XVIII. 138). They show that the seedlings 

 raised from the Bourbon gave the largest stools of canes, and those 

 fromH? the richest juice. Five of the Bourbon seedlings gave stools 

 weighing over 100 lb. each; the highest being 1681b. and six gave juice 

 containing more than 1^ lb. of sucrose per gallon, and two of tliem 

 more than 21b. per gallon. Of these 48 varieties 44 were planted in 

 plots of from 4 to 112 holes in November, 1919, but the results are not 

 yet available as the canes will only be reaped and tested next month. 

 In October last, after a second selection, 13 were considered sufficiently 

 good from their field characters to be further propagated in plots. 



The seedlings raised in 1918 were a much better set than those of 

 the previous year and after the first analytical test had been made 162 

 varieties were considered sulficiently good to be propagated for further 

 trial. 



A large number of varieties were selected for raising the new seedlings 

 of that year as it had been found from the results obtained in the 

 previous year that certain varieties were absolutely useless as parents. 

 The best results were obtained with B. 6450, the Bourbon, H. ?, li. 6835, 

 and L. 511, a few promising seedlings were also obtained from D. 109. 

 The seedlings raised from the Bourbon have again given the largest 

 stools of cane, the best weighing 314 lb. and the next 233 lb. ; the juice 

 from the latter contained practically 2 lb. of sucrose per gallon. The 



