Diseases 243 



(6) The tree dies after five or six years, or 

 sooner. 



It is important to note that there are no signs 

 of the disease until the liquid oozes out, and 

 when this occurs the internal tissue is already 

 decayed to some extent. Mr. Fetch, as a 

 remedy, cut all the affected parts clean out, 

 well burnt the wound with a torch of rag dipped 

 in oil, and then covered it with hot coal-tar. 

 This, he adds, effectually stopped any further 

 advance. 



A very bad case reported by Fetch in 

 Ceylon occurred on a small island bounded 

 by the Negombo Canal, where surrounding 

 conditions were chronically very damp, for it 

 is described as a marsh, although the whole 

 area was planted up in coco-nut palms. We 

 then get a good description of a bad case. 

 " The diseased trees were stunted, so much 

 so that they resembled cycads. They were 

 covered to a height of 7 ft. or 8 ft. with black 

 patches, caused by exudations of sap from 

 minute cracks in the outer tissue. The upper 

 portion of the stem was usually unaffected. 

 The tissue immediately beneath the crack 

 became discoloured, generally brown at first, 

 and finally black, and this condition spreads 

 internally until the patches from adjacent 

 cracks coalesce. The bud remains sound so 

 long as a section of the stem shows a region 

 of undecayed tissues. Several trees were dug 

 up, and it was found that, as a rule, the roots 



