154 DATEGROWING 



years ago, causing real damage until it was checked.* 

 Fortunately, it yields readily to a spray of Bordeaux 

 mixture. 



The coconut palm borer, (Rhyncophorus 

 ferrugineus) has killed date palms in India and, to a 

 less extent, in Mesopotamia — its presence at Baghdad 

 under the name of chirnib has already been mentioned, f 

 It works slowly, but appears without warning. The 

 Baghdadls know of no remedy for it, but consider 

 that the palm is not liable to attack if its trunk is 

 kept well cleared of decaying fibre and leaf stalks. 

 In India the common remedy is to put a handful of 

 salt on the place where the insect is working, as soon 

 as its presence is noticed by the dying of some of 

 the leaves; at other times the native takes a fine 

 iron hook with long handle and works around the 

 trunk of the palm until he finds the larva and drags 

 him out. 



This borer has not yet been introduced to the 

 United States, and there is little danger of its being 

 introduced, but the southern states already have two 

 representatives of the same genus — namely, R. 

 cruentatus and R. palmarum. They are found as 

 far west as Texas, and particularly attack the palmetto, 

 but will be likely to attack the date palm sooner or 

 later. They are not to be feared as a serious enemy. 

 When they attack a palmetto grove, the best treat- 



*Wajiyyeh Bey, Director of Agriculture at Baghd&d, describes 

 the malady in Loghat al Arab, July 1, 1912, p. 17, but does not 

 identify it. He suggests lysol or sulphate of copper as the best 

 remedy. My own identification is tentative; there are certain differ- 

 ences of habit between the Baghdad fungus and Graphioln phoenicis 

 of California, and the former may turn out to be something different. 



fl did not see the borer itself at Baghdad, and identify it only 

 by descriptions from native friends, and the traces of its destructive 

 work. 



