190 RUBBER AND 



Pink Disease. 



The malady known as Pink disease, due to the 

 attacks of the fungus Corticium salmonicolor, has much 

 more the appearance of what is commonly regarded as 

 a canker. This disease makes its appearance as a pink 

 incrustation covering the bark. The patch may extend 

 until it covers a large area, in the centre of which the 

 bark is dead and dry, whilst at the edges the advancing 

 fungus is only superficial. Spores are formed upon the 

 surface of the pink patch, and are carried by the wind 

 until they find a lodgement upon the surface of the 

 bark. This commonly occurs at a point where the 

 trunk forks into two or more branches, and it is in such 

 a position that the disease generally arises. Hyphae 

 from the germinating spores penetrate into the bark 

 and destroy its living tissue. From the centre thus 

 established the disease then spreads widely over the 

 surface. 



The disease is readily recognisable owing to the pink 

 colouration which it produces. When the fungus makes 

 its appearance upon the upper branches of a young tree, 

 the diseased branches may be cut off completely and 

 burnt. On older trees, as in the case of canker, it is 

 sometimes possible to cut out the diseased patch of 

 bark, if the presence of the fungus is recognised at a 

 sufficiently early stage. In South India the application 

 of Bordeaux mixture is widely adopted as a preventive 

 measure. The fungicide is simply painted on to the 



