12 THE CUBA REVIEW 



FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN.— At the time of writing our last letter the total 

 amount subscribed in Cuba was reported as being $10,151,750 with a total number of 

 21,151 subscribers. Since then final figures show a total of $10,752,850 made up of 

 22,189 subscribers. This amount is more than double that obtained for the Third Lib- 

 erty Loan and comprises a large oversubscription of the amount assigned to Cuba of 

 $6,000,000. In view of the splendid success of this campaign, word was received by 

 the Cuban Government here that the United States would extend to Cuba the same 

 privilege as given to Federal Reserve Districts when they oversubscribed their allot- 

 ted quota, viz: the privilege of naming an American ship and tank. When President 

 Menocal was advised of this fact he stated he would delegate his wife to choose the 

 names, which she will arrange to do. 



UNITED WAR WORK CAMPAIGN.— In line with the active interest taken here 

 in soliciting subscriptions during the Liberty Loan drives, when the announcement was 

 made of the drive now drawing to a close in favor of the United War Work, it was 

 arranged that Cuba's quota should be $100,000, and while in Havana the work of 

 securing subscriptions has been handicapped by extra holidays and strikes, it is fully 

 expected that the amount mentioned will be largely oversubscribed before the drive 

 is finished. 



NUT FALL AND LEAF DROOP OF COCONUT 

 PALMS IN CUBA 



By Alvin Fox, Horticulturist on Tropical Plants. 



In my years of experience in the Tropics on diseases and insect developments on 

 tropical plants, I find that the so-called nut fall appears mostly in the rainy season, 

 in the Eastern part of Cuba from May to December. 



If the fallen nuts are examined, preferably as soon as they have fallen, the stalk 

 end of the nut will be found to be diseased and discolored; sometimes only the scar 

 where the nut was attached to the stalk is affected; but more generally there is a 

 dark brown or blackish brown patch extending from the scar downward over the sur- 

 face of the fruit. This brown discoloration may cover the whole of the stalk end, and 

 spread half way to the point. It generally has a somewhat sodden appearance. If 

 the nut is cut open, the diseased, discolored region will be found to spread downwards 

 in the brusk. 



The fungus which causes this decay is a Phytophthora. In some cases it may be 

 found as a delicate gray film, over-running the brown patch; but in general other fungi 

 rapidly follow the Phytophthora and those seen on the decayed are as in white or pink- 

 ish patches or filling the cavity of nut, are those secondary harmless species which live 

 only on dead tissues, especially when lying on the ground for a few days or so. Dis- 

 eases caused by species of Phytophthora are always worse in wet seasons, because the 

 fungus requires an abundance of moisture for the development of its spores. It is 

 most probable that the abnormal rain of the last two years has favored the spread 

 of this disease. 



In causing the nut fall, this fungus usually attacks the nut at the upper end. It 

 may, however, attack the fruit stalk, and then nuts fall without being actually at- 

 tacked. A few months after the nut fall had begun another abnormal condition of 

 the coconut palms in the same area was observed, a drooping of the lower leaves of 

 the tree. 



In general this leaf droop affects the leaves which form the lower part of the 

 crown. The diseased leaves droop and keep green twelve leaves down, thus forming a 

 curtain around the stem. It is remarkable that the first leaf to droop and assume this 

 position is in very many cases not the lowest leaf, but one higher up the crown, per- 

 haps about the fifth. Ultimately these drooping leaves die and turn brown. 



