32 COCONUT PLANTER'S MANUAL. 



organises would appear to find an entrance to the cabbage along the 

 youngest leaf. Owing to the scattered way in which the disease occurs 

 it is thought probable that it is propagated by insects In the case 

 of old trees the fruits generally fall off while the leaves tend to 

 droop and finally drop away leaving a sickly top which is eventually 

 knocked over by the wind. In older trees the bacterica probably 

 enter the cabbage via the fruit stalks. The destruction of a tree is 

 usually complete within three months, frequently much less. Close 

 planting and interplanting with other trees is thought by Petch to 

 favour the disease by preventing evaporation of moisture from the 

 roots. The nature of the disease and the manner of growth of the 

 palms make it impossible to find a remedy, though measures can be 

 adopted for checking the spread of the disease. The affected trees 

 should, as soon as they are discovered, be felled and the terminal bud 

 immediately burned. The difficulty of reaching the affected part of 

 the tree makes disinfection by bluestone impracticable, but a solu- 

 tion of it (l lb. to 20 gallons of water) may be sprayed with advantage 

 over the young parts of trees in the vicinity to prevent their infection. 

 But by adopting drastic measures as soon as the disease appears in one 

 or two trees, it is possible to keep it in check. 



Root Disease.— As root disease usually brings about a stoppage 

 of the water supply its effect resembles that of drought, but unlike 

 drought-stricken trees it occurs as a rule as isolated cases. The 

 fungus (Fomes lucidus) that causes root disease is an old one and the 

 disease itself has finally existed since the introduction of the Coconut, 

 and there is no reason to apprehend any serious danger from it. 



The appearance of the disease is indicated first by a drooping of 

 the outer leaves which hang down round the stem. The nuts fail to 

 set and with the fall of the outer leaves the palm is left with a cluster 

 of upright leaves at the top. In this way it dwindles away, the 

 leaves becoming yellower and smaller and the tree ceasing to bear till 

 finally the whole tree dies off" with the decay of the bud. 



Affected trees should be felled and the butt end dug out and burnt 

 with 2 or 3 feet of stem above. This should be done as soon as the 

 outer leaves have withered and the tree has become barren. There is 

 no evidence that the mycelium of F, lucidus can live independently 

 in the soil or travel through it, but it is advised that a trench 2 feet 

 deep be dug round the site of the affected tree as far as /possible from 



