44 THE RUBBER INDUSTRY 



Orient, but is rendered practically harmless by an 

 adequate system of inspection and the application 

 of the necessary remedies. Mr. Fetch, the Ceylon 

 Government mycologist, recommends that the affected 

 cortex be painted regularly with a solution of 20 parts 

 of lime, 15 of sulphur, and 50 of water, and he states 

 that the rot is checked immediately if this solution is 

 used when the disease first appears on the tapped 

 portion of the tree. 



In the Preangar District of Java this same cambium 

 disease occurs in a form quite as virulent as anything 

 seen in the Amazon Valley, and it frequently appears 

 in the Matale District of Ceylon. It is not regarded as 

 a menace to the future of the industry in Ceylon or 

 Malaysia. 



On July 7 last, when lecturing before the Kelani 

 Valley Planters' Association, Mr. Petch made the 

 following remarks in regard to cambium rot, and 

 these apply equally to the Amazon Valley as far as that 

 disease is concerned : 



" The second disease I wish to talk about is the 

 decay which often occurs on the tapped cortex. It 

 frequently happens that the thin layer of original cortex 

 which is left overlying the cambium dies in patches. 

 This occurs especially in wet weather, and is more 

 common, apparently, during the north-east than south- 

 west monsoons. The decaying patches usually run 

 vertically, and first appear on the exposed cortex 

 within an inch of the tapping cut. The first thing 

 noticed is the appearance of narrow sunken vertical 

 lines just above the cut. Along these lines the thin 

 residual layer of original cortex is sunken, and if it is 



