22 



cocoanut indu,str\', a very seriou.s matter for the population of that 

 part of the i.sland of Cuba. 



It is not necessary to ))urn the entire trunk, which would involve 

 extra labor, but only the top with a couple of feet of the upper end 

 of the trunk. 



But it is necessary" to have united action in order to make the remedy 

 of any real value, as it is evidently futile for the proprietor of one 

 estate to eradicate the disease within its limits if the owners of neig-h- 

 boring" estates omit the precautions and allovr the disease to multipl}' 

 and send its spores abroad to the others. I therefore suggest local 

 legislation, which would make it compulsor}' on every owner to cut 

 down palms as soon as they show infection and have the diseased parts 

 burned; and, furthermore, that some trustworthy, intelligent man be 

 constituted inspector with the duty to inspect weekly the entire region 

 and with power to have cut down at once and burned at owners 

 expense any sick palm found omitted. 



Such action, together with advice to })lant ne\v cocoanut palms, will, 

 I fully believe, save the greater part of this important industry, which 

 otherwise seems doomed to annihilation. 



The insects found to be connected with the cocoa palm in this 

 Baraeoa district were few and all of secondary or of no economic 

 importance. The only ones which may form an exception are the 

 Scolytids {Xijlehorus spp.) through the holes of which the fungus 

 doubtless gains eas}" entrance to the palms. These beetles are not 

 always present and evidentl}^ do not constitute the only means for the 

 spores to reach their destination. It is not impossible that the}" are 

 altogether innocent and merely come after the weakened condition of 

 the palm, as Mr. E. A. Schwarz suggests is probable. But as carriers 

 of the spores from palm to palm these insects and numerous scavenger 

 flies which are attracted to the sick palms ma}' be of importance. The 

 most common of these are the strikingly beautiful metallic-green 

 Yolucella ohesa Yb}). and the curious long-legged ('((Jolxita nehulosa 

 Loew. 



On the underside of the leaves and on the green fruit was found 

 quite commonly, but never in dangerous numbers, the destructive 

 scale insect, AHpldlotus destrnetor^ which everywhere in that region 

 was kept well in check by the black, red-spotted ladybird, (J/uIocorus 

 cacti Linn. 



A large beetle, Stratsegus titanus Fab., was often found among the 

 flowers of the cocoas and was invariabl}" accused by the natives of 

 being the cause of all the trouble, while in reality it did little or no 

 harm in eating the pollen and possiljly the tender shoots. The larva 

 lives in decaj'ed wood. 



Of the palm weevil, lihynchophorus jpalmarurn^ which before my 

 trip was suspected as being the possible cause, not one was found and 

 no other borer than the Scolytids previously mentioned. 



