VI 



COFFEE 163 



fragments of bark break away in flakes, leaving the 

 brown wood exposed. On the berries these spots are 

 usually whitish and almost circular. 



In fruiting (conidial form) the fungus produces 

 yellowish pin-like structures which stand at right 

 angles to the surface and bear the conidiophores. This 

 fungus was first described by Cooke as Stilbumflamdum, 

 with Stilbella flavida, Lindau, as a variant. But Massee 

 has found the perfect or ascigerous stage and described 

 it as Sphaerostilbe flavida, Massee (" Coffee Disease of 

 the New World/' in Kew Bull. Misc. Inf. 1909, No. 8). 



It is frequently confused with mancha, which is due 

 to a small moth, Cemiostoma coffeella, and which is 

 distributed throughout the greater part, and possibly 

 all of the coffee-growing countries of America. The 

 disease also occurs on other plants than the coffee, 

 and this increases the difficulty in controlling it. It 

 has been reported from Central America, Colombia, 

 Venezuela, Dutch Guiana, Brazil, Porto Eico, Dominica, 

 Mexico, Trinidad, and Jamaica. 



This disease is most destructive where the shade is 

 excessive, and the removal of the excessive shade growths 

 so as to allow access of sunlight and air is the only 

 practical remedy. Cutting out and burning of the 

 diseased parts and spraying with Bordeaux mixture 

 will prove helpful if the conditions are such as to make 

 this treatment profitable. 



Leaf Spots. The most important of these diseases is 

 one due to Cercospora coffeicola, 1 B. & C., which attacks 

 the leaves and fruits (Figs. 33, 68, 69), causing large 

 blotches, which at first are visible only on the upper 

 surface. They are dark brown at first becoming greyish 

 above and clear below. The centres of these blotches 

 become dead and bear the spores. It causes the leaves 

 to fall, thus reducing the vitality of the plant and 

 preventing the proper maturity of the berries. It 

 attacks the twigs and also the berries which fall before 



1 Ramularia yoeldiana, Sacc., which has been reported from Brazil, is 

 probably the same as C. coffeicola. 



