THE DISEASES OF THE SUGAR-CANE. 469 



unsuitable places was well exemplified in the recent out- 

 break of .sh(jt-borer [Xy/edonis perfora^is) and rind-fungus 

 ( Trichosphaeria Sacckari) in St. Kitt's cane-fields. The 

 island was roughly divided by an imaginary line across the 

 mountains into the re^^ion under Bourbon and that under 

 Caledonian Queen (a transparent cane). The former cane 

 found many admirers, although clay is unknown in the island 

 (except a few acres above the limits of cane cultivation), 

 and the soil consists everywhere of deep layers of volcanic 

 ash. A careful examination of all the estates in the island 

 showed the diseased area was roughly that of the Boiirbon 

 cane, the estates under Caledonian Queen being practically 

 free from injury.^ 



8. The general character of the cultivation is of equally 

 obvious importance. There is no question that the cultiva- 

 tion in most sugar-growing countries has vastly improved 

 in the last quarter of a century ; and very possibly this is 

 the reason why many diseases, formerly abundant, are now 

 of little account.^ The epidemic of rzist in Queensland has 

 been referred to careless cultivation, following upon too 

 great success in the first opening up of virgin soil.^ Two 

 root parasites, Alectra hrasiliensis^ in Dominica and Striga 

 eiLplirasioides^ in the Central Provinces of India, both 

 belonging to the Scropkulariacece, are found to thrive in 

 waste, neglected cane-pieces, but disappear when the land 

 is kept in order. The gumming of Pernambuco has been 

 traced by some as primarily due to bad drainage and con- 

 dition of soil.^ The most fruitful cause of cane-disease in 

 India is stated to be the carelessness following years of 

 great prosperity.^ 



On the other hand, good cultivation is not always a 

 remedy for disease. Certain epidemics among the canes 

 are due to other causes than the mere supply of proper 

 nutriment to the plant. The utmost care in cultivation has 

 had small effect for instance upon the g2im?mng m Mauritius, 

 the sere A in Java or the rind-fungus in the West Indies. 



1 Barber (2). - Barber (i) p. 31 1. ^ Barber (3). '^ Barber (4). 

 -'Wait. '' Sugar -Cane, 1894, xxvi., 377. "Watt. 



