DISEASES AND ENEMIES 253 



made some progress, however, it is better to cut the 

 branch off and burn it. 



An allied species of Corticium was observed in the 

 Antilles (St. Lucia and Dominica). This fungus was 

 called Corticium lilacino -fuscum. Perhaps it is 

 identical with Corticium javanicum. This disease of 

 the Antilles, called " pink disease," is of no economic 

 importance. 



Thread blight or cobweb fungus (Stilbella nana f) 

 -This disease was observed in Trinidad, St. Lucia, 

 Dominica, Grenada, Tobago, and British Guiana. A 

 cobweb fungus, probably the same as that of Trinidad, 

 has also been observed in Java, Ceylon, and Kamerun; 

 but in these places it does not seem to cause damage of 

 any importance. 



The fungus settles especially on the twigs and leaves, 

 but sometimes it grows also over the branches and even 

 over the stem. It covers these parts with its mycelium 

 in the form of threads, which attain often a diameter 

 of one or even a few millimetres, and this cobweb-like 

 growth is much coarser than the mycelium of the 

 young " djamoer oepas," above mentioned. Later on 

 the colour of the mycelium is white, and finally more or 

 less brownish. 



The fungus also attacks tea, Ficus elastica, and 

 several other cultivated and wild growing plants. 



Horse-hair blight. This disease occurs in Trinidad, 

 Grenada, and St. Lucia, and resembles a tuft of horse- 

 hair caught in the branches. Opinions are still divided 

 as to the identity of the fungus (probably Marasmius 

 equicrinus), and it is also still uncertain whether the 

 disease is really quite distinct from the " thread blight." 

 Occasionally and sporadically it is responsible for con- 

 siderable damage. 



The Surinam witch-broom disease (Colletotrichum 

 luxificum). This disease is happily limited to Surinam 

 and Demerara, but the losses caused in these countries 

 probably surpass those of any other disease of the cocoa 

 plant. 



