240 COCOA 



CHAP. 



trees or weeds on which the enemy likes to live. Thus 

 in Java the presence of " rambutan " trees has to be 

 avoided, as they constitute a source from which the 

 cocoa-moth can contaminate the cocoa fields ; and the 

 same with the "bixa" tree, on which the Helopeltis 

 likes to live. 



(e) By causing conditions which make it impossible, 

 or very difficult for the enemy to live or develop on 

 the trees. The method of " rampassing " (removing at 

 a certain time all the fruits in the whole plantation) 

 makes it impossible for the cocoa - moth to develop, 

 while the introduction of many nests of the " black 

 ant," which run in large numbers over the fruits and 

 the twigs, makes it impossible for the Helopeltis to 

 live on the tree. 



(f) By preventing the germination of fungus- spores, 

 which settle on the leaves or fruits, by covering these 

 parts of the tree with a coating of Bordeaux mixture. 

 Indeed, spraying with this mixture has the effect 

 of preventing the contraction of fungoid diseases. 

 Thus it has been successfully applied against " black 

 rot " of the pods. 



II. The direct fight is carried on mainly in the 

 following ways : 



(a) By catching the enemies and killing them. 

 This is only possible with comparatively large insects, 

 such as beetles and their larvae, which live in the stem 

 and the branches, and also with the Helopeltis bug. 

 Traps of different kinds may sometimes be useful. 



(b) By removing the parts on which the parasite 

 has settled. This method is applied more than any 

 other against parasitic fungi, as, e.g., the removal and 

 burning of the whole crown of the tree to fight the 

 Surinam witch-broom disease ; the quick removal and 

 burning of the dying branches attacked by the " die- 

 back " fungus, of the fruits attacked by the " black rot " 

 fungus and of the trees, the roots of which are suffering 

 from "white-root fungus." 



(c) By killing the fungus by means of fungicide 



