47 



The very drastic method of cutting away affected bi-anches 

 which more often than not means cutting off the top of the tree 

 or a well developed branch affected by a spore-producing fungus 

 tends to accelerate the dissemination of the spores. If any cutting 

 away has to be employed the tar and oil mixture should be 

 applied first. 



The oil is mixed with the tar to prevent drying and not 

 because this mixture has any more peneti*ative power than tar only. 

 After using this method of treatment for nearly tw^o years I am 

 quite satisfied, and I am sure many planters who have adopted 

 the method will agree with me, that it is the only method of 

 treatment which is at all satisfactoxy. 



I agree with Brooks and Sharpies in their statement in Bulletin 

 No. 21 of the Department of Agriculture that " where a considerable 

 amount of ' pink ' disease is present one can scai'cely expect to 

 eradicate it completely " but it is possible by treatment not only 

 to check the spread of the disease but also to effect a cure without 

 the loss of branches which ai-e essential for the production of good 

 yields of rubber. 



Individual estates can check the spread of the disease from 

 within but frequently thei-e are neighbouring estates and kampongs 

 where the disease is not treated equally well and it is impossible 

 to check the disease to the extent one could wish. 



I am of the opinion that the treatment of the disease in native 

 holdings and kampongs needs I'evision. Pink disease has increased 

 very considerably during the past three years and I think this is 

 mainly due to the fact that it is not under control in districts 

 where it is rife and I am one, among many, no doubt, who attribute 

 renewed outbreaks to fresh infections from outside sources, chiefly 

 from native holdings. 



It is absolutely essential to employ a pest gang constantly 

 on all plantations where pink disease has been discovered if any real 

 results in checking the disease in the country are to be obtained. 



Die-Back {Botryodiplodia theobromm). 



The fungus which after pink disease has up to the pi'esent 

 caused the gr-eatest amount of injury to the parts of the tree 

 above ground is the disease which, because of the way in which it 

 travels down the tree killing the branches and main stem in its 

 progress, has been called and is known as die-back. 



Botryodiplodia theohromas may make its attack in a variety of 

 ways ; the commonest method, as far as my experience goes, is to 

 enter young shoots killed by two parasitic fungi, Phyllosticta 

 ramicola and Gloposporium albo-ruhrum, or by one of these ; but it 

 may enter a wound of any kind. The fungus appears to be 



