THE BUD-ROT OF PALMS IN INDIA. 239 



through several of those below escaped detection. The apical bud 

 was involved in the rot at the heart of the crown and the tree was, 

 therefore, beyond recovery. 



In the second tree 10 sheaths were penetrated from that first 

 inoculated. Then as before there were several apparently quite 

 sound, while the centre of the bud was a rotten mass. Here again 

 there were beetle tunnels running from the outer spots to the centre 

 and opening a route for the parasite. In this case also the palm 

 was beyond hope of recovery. 



Hence in rather over five months the disease had penetrated 

 about half of the radius of the bud (the outer sheaths are thicker 

 than the inner) and had then jumped in some less direct fashion 

 to the centre. Even granting that it grows at the same rate through- 

 out, and is not assisted by insects, it should kill the tree in ten months. 

 It probably grows much faster in the softer inner tissues than to- 

 wards the outside, so that the time may be correspondingly reduced. 

 Beetles are extremely common in diseased trees and may be attract- 

 ed to them ; these may lead to further shortening of the time by 

 carrying the parasite rapidly through several sheaths. This is 

 what appears to have happened in the two trees experimented upon. 

 Therefore it seems safe to conclude that the disease is capable of 

 kiUing moderately sized palms in from five to ten months from the 

 date of first attack. 



The period which elapses between the death of the central 

 shoot and the loss of all the leaves of the crown is much longer. 

 The central shoot of an outwardly healthy palmyra was noticed to 

 become slightly pallid and less rigid than before between the 17th 

 and 19tli of December 1907. Sixteen days later the central shoot 

 was quite withered and four of the inner leaves were yellowing. 

 After twelve days more another leaf had turned yellow. Another 

 tree observed in March 1907 when the central shoot had withered, 

 was found nine months after to have lost only some of the central 

 leaves, those towards the outside being still un withered and firmly 

 attached to the crown. Usually many months elapse before all 



