45^ 



excursion of his own. Mr. Fox did not visit the Aldabra group 

 of Islands, so that throughout the paper the name Dupoxt should 

 be substituted for Fox wherever the latter occurs. 



Root Disease in Sugar Cane. — An interesting" Report by- 



Mr. TV. Lowell, Mycologist of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture, "West Indies, is printed in Bulletin vol. xvii., 

 Part 2 of the Department of Agriculture, Trinidad and Tobago, 

 and in the June number of the Proceedings of the Agricultural 

 Society of Trinidad on his visit paid to Trinidad to investigate 

 the disease known as Si blight '* in the sugar cane fields. This 

 trouble had been attributed to froghopper infestations, but the 

 Entomologist in charge did not feel satisfied that the insect 

 trouble was wholly or always responsible. Mr. Nowell found 

 that a root-disease w^as generally present in unhealthy fields, and 

 its prevalence was proportionate to the severitv of the damage. 

 This condition is induced by the invasion of the roots, the under- 

 ground portions of the stool, and the young shoots by the mycelium 

 of certain fungi that are generally saprophytic on the decaying 

 cane material. Both the onset and the persistance of root-disease 

 depend on a condition of weakness or debilitv in the cane. 



It is stated that when root-disease attacks the plants the effect 

 is that of shortage of water, the edges of the leaves curling up 

 and the plant gradually turning brown. The stool has a 

 characteristic stunted appearance, many shoots being dead and 

 dry, and the trash firmly cemented ground the lower joints of 

 the cane. The system of continuous cropping of long ratooning, 

 of planting between the old rows, and turning the old and dead 

 stools full of root fungus on to the new young plants, all tends 

 to <nve every chance to the fungus to induce disease. Any con- 

 ditions such as lack of manure, lack of moisture, lack of tilth or 

 attacks by froghopper that weaken the plant, are contributory 

 factors to the severity of cane blight. 



Mr. No well points out that the parasitism of the two fungi. 

 Marasmius sacchuri, and an Odontia-like species, that are 

 alleged to cause cane blight is in need of thorough investigation, 

 and that the whole question of attack in the case of potential 

 parasites is inseparably bound up with the general health of the 

 plant, and with questions of good cultural methods. W. L. a. 



Fruit Culture in Malaya** — In a preface to this Bulletin by 



the Director of Agriculture it is stated that it " is issued in the 

 hope that it will encourage and assist the planting of fruit trees 

 in private garden-, particularly on estates. At present a very 



n 



small proportion of gardens in the country contain anythin 

 approaching a good selection of fruit trees, and most residents 

 depend on what can be bought in the local market." Early 

 introduction of exotic fruits into the Peninsula was brought 



* Bulletin No. 29, 1919, of the Department of Agriculture, Federated 

 Malay States, by J. N". Milsum, Superintendent, Government Plantations, 

 Selangor and Negri Sembilan. 



