PARA RUBBER. 



the source of Central American rubber ; Ficus elastica, Roxb., 

 the Rambong ; and Ficus Vogelii, Miq., and Funtumia elastica, 

 Stapf, both West African trees. Where forest land is being 

 cleared and land is plentiful and cheap, belts of indigenous trees 

 might be advantageously left standing. 



In some districts animals cause considerable damage by 

 eating young Heveas and the bark of old ones ; the most trouble- 

 some being cattle, pigs, porcupines, deer, rats, hares, and rabbits. 

 As a protection from these a wire netting boundary fence of a 

 suitable mesh should be erected. 



FUNGUS DISEASES. 



The enormous losses which farmers and planters in various 

 parts of the world have sustained by the ravages of parasitic 

 fungi on growing crops should be sufficient to convince the Para 

 rubber planter of the necessity of employing every means in 

 his power to protect his trees from similar attacks. Striking 

 examples of this nature are afforded by " Potato Disease " 

 (Phytophthora infestans, De Bary), "Vine Mildew" (Plasmopara 

 viticola, De Bary), " Wheat Rust " (Puccinia graminis, Pers.), 

 " Cocoa Canker" (Nectria sp.), and " Coffee-leaf Disease " (Henii- 

 leia vastatrix, Berk.). In Prussia, during the year 1891, it is 

 estimated that losses amounting to over 20^ million pounds 

 sterling were sustained by the ravages of parasitic fungi on 

 cereal crops. Rust in Australian wheat is estimated to have 

 caused a loss of 2-i million pounds sterling during the season 

 1890-1, while the coffee-leaf disease in Ceylon is reported to 

 have resulted in a loss of nearly 15 million pounds sterling in 

 ten years. 



Every planter should make himself conversant with the 

 general habit and name of the commonest groups of the fungus 

 parasites of plants, their methods of attack, and the conditions 

 which most favour their development. 



It is impossible to state what proportion of the fifty thousand 

 odd species which represent the world's fungus-flora is parasitic 

 on plants, but it is well to bear in mind that many saprophytic 

 fungi, i.e., those which usually live on dead organic matter, may 

 assume a parasitic habit, while on the other hand parasitic fungi 

 may adopt saprophytic habits. 



