COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL- 31 



and graded according to length and colour and when di'y is ready to 

 be made up into packages. The fibre passing through the machine 

 (mattress fibre) is subjected to further treatment in a special machine 

 which teases out all non-fibrous fragments with which it is associated 

 and delivers the fibre only in a clean condition. The refuse from the 

 machines, which is of no commercial value, is what is known as coir 

 dust. The fibre is then pressed into bales of from 2 to 3 cwt., 

 measuring from 9 to 13 cubic feet. 



DISEASES AND PESTS. 



I.— DISEASES. 



The following is a list (drawn up by the Department of Agricul- 

 ture) of the known diseases to which the coconut palm is liable : — 



(l) Root diseases : Fomes lignosus and Fomes lucidus. (2) Stem 

 Disease : Thielaviopsis paradoxa (a stem bleeding disease), (3) Leaf 

 diseases : Botryodiplodia sp. (Leaf break or leaf die-back), Desmotascm 

 cocoes, Helmhithosp>orium incurvatum, Pestallozzia palmarum (grey 

 blight), Phoma cocoicola, Phj/lophthora sp. (Leaf drop), Heptorla cocoes, 

 and S'phcerella Gastonis. (4) Bud diseases : Bacillis coli (Budrot) and 

 Phijtophthora (or Pithium) sp. ( Budrot). (5) Fruit disease : Phi/toph- 

 thora sp. (Nut fall.?) 



The more important of these are referred to in the following 

 notes : — 



Budrot. The first indication of the disease in young trees is the 

 withering of the youngest unfolded leaf. This eventually turns brown 

 and can be pulled out of its sheath when is is found to end in a soft 

 brown evil smelling mass. The decay of this leaf is followed by the 

 death of the other fronds in succession proceeding outwards and down- 

 wards. Finally only a conical stump remains on the top of the stem. 

 If the dying fronds are removed and the bud exposed the " Cabbage " 

 will appear not as usual white and clean but a discoloured putrefying 

 mass with an abominable odour. This rot " attacks and destroys the 

 whole of the cabbage and only stops on reaching the hard woody 

 part of the stem. T he latter and the roots remain quite healthy, and 

 the tree dies as a result of the destruction of the terminal bud or 

 growing point. 



The organisms responsible for this decay are according to Petch, 

 bacteria which are abundantly present in the rotting tissues. These 



