272 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



has been noted that the palms from the roots 

 to a metre high in the trunk are completely 

 undermined, the interior pulverized like saw- 

 dust, and filled with nests of these worms, 

 which have gained entrance through the roots 

 and gnawed their way upward, deriving main- 

 tenance from the trunk. This shows that 

 the Asiatic palm weevil has been at work, and 

 enables the planter to realize the gravity of its 

 attacks ; it enters the tree through the smallest 

 wounds, leaving no external trace of its work, 

 so that all its ravages are committed where not 

 suspected ; hence it is an extremely difficult 

 enemy to combat. 



To this pest Mr. Banks devotes six pages 

 in the same publication (154 to 159) concluding, 

 as usual, with preventives and remedies, by which 

 we learn that the Asiatic weevil can only obtain 

 access to the interior of the tree through wounds 

 or holes caused by the toddy-gatherers, or the 

 rhinoceros beetle or other pests. 1 For this 

 reason mutilation of the trees should carefully 

 be avoided, and if it is necessary to climb the 

 trees, bamboo ladders must be used instead of 

 allowing the men to cut notches in the trunk 

 to mount up by. If, in spite of all precautions, 

 the weevil gains entrance, the work of ousting 

 them is extremely difficult. It is at times pos- 

 sible to dig them out with a wire hook, the 



1 Does this not tend to contradict Seiior Reyes's state- 

 ment just above that the worms, if not the adult beetle, 

 gain an entrance through the roots ? 



