Volume IV MARCH, 1918 No. 4 



USTULINA ZONATA (LEV.) SACC. ON 

 HEVEA BRASILIENSIS 



By a. SHARPLES, A.R.C.S., D.I.C., 



Mycologist. 

 Departmenl of Agriculture, Kuala Lumpur, Federated Malay States. 



(With Plates III— VIII and 1 Text-figure.) 



INTRODUCTION. 



Pests and diseases on rubber plantations have caused little anxiety 

 up to date. Scares due to attacks by Fomes lignosus (Klotzsch) and 

 White ants {Termes gestroi) were prevalent before 1908, but in the general 

 management of Malayan plantations pests and diseases have been con- 

 sidered a minor detail. There are certain estates where preventive 

 measures had to be undertaken because of specific "White ant" or 

 "Fomes" attacks, but these areas are strictly locahsed. Up to date, no 

 general scheme for combating pests and diseases on rubber plantations 

 could be put forward, for the trees have been extraordinarily free from 

 insect and fungus troubles. Investigations carried out over the last two 

 years indicate that more attention, especially to fungus diseases, will be 

 necessary in the future. A general scheme of treatment may now be 

 recommended with an assurance that money spent on routine disease 

 work will be amply repaid. 



HISTORY OF PESTS AND DISEASES ON THE PLANTATIONS. 



The pioneer rubber planters in Malaya mostly obtained their ex- 

 perience on the tea and cofTee plantations in Ceylon and the tea planta- 

 tions of India. The failure of the coffee crop in Ceylon owing to the 

 attacks of Hemileia vastatrix left a lasting impression, and in the early 

 days of rubber planting, planters were inclined to believe many exag- 

 gerated reports of damage caused by various agencies. The root disease 

 caused by Fomes lignosus (Klotzsch) was at first regarded as a potential 

 exterminator of young rubbei-; about the same time the F. M. S. Govern- 

 ment offered a |5000 reward for the best cure for "White ant" attacks. 



Aim. Biol. IV 11 



