THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 9r)3" 



handled b}* persons who afterwards come into contact with suscep- 

 tible portions of healthy trees, eAf., hj those who cut the leaves or 

 draw toddy, finally by birds and insects convejdng infectious^ 

 matter on their bodies. 



Of the four species of palm common in the Godavari Delta only 

 three were attacked, the Palmyra (^Borasstts flaheUifer), the Cocoa- 

 nut (Cocos nucifera^, and the Beetlenut (Areca catechu'), whilst 

 the wild Date Palm (^Phoenix sylvestris) so far as has been observed^ 

 remained immune. By far the greatest mortality was noticed 

 amongst Palmyras ; Cocoanuts have suffered much less, and Areca- 

 nuts are even less liable to attack than Cocoanuts. That the- 

 Cocoanuts suffer much less seems to depend in large measure om 

 a natural resistance presented by this species to the parasite. No" 

 experiments have been carried out to investigate the susceptibility 

 of the Areca to attack. 



Though palms of all ages are liable to the disease, the majority 

 of cases are mature trees. The intensitj^ of the disease varies 

 enormously in different places. 



From experiments conducted by Butler we are allowed to con- 

 clude that the fungus is capable of killing moderately sized palms 

 in from 5-10 months from the date of first attack. Speaking of 

 death in this connection we are to understand that period when the 

 central shoot, formed of the innermost, partly expanded leaves,, 

 A\ithers and dies. The time which elapses between the death of the^ 

 central shoot and the loss of all the leaves of the crown is much 

 longer. It appears that 3 j^ears or more may pass before all the 

 leaves have fallen. 



With ^regard to the seasonable prevalence of the disease there 

 are villages in the area mentioned which do not show any marked 

 period of maximum intensit)^, whilst the deaths are more numerous 

 in the villages of Amalapur Taluk in the months from August to- 

 Februarj^, than from March to July. " This is in close relation," 

 says Butler, " with the relative humidity of the two periods, and 

 applies ec[ually well to the other affected Taluks. There is a less 

 close relation with the rainfall. In the monsoon, especially in its 

 second half, the mortality" appears to reach its maximum, but it i& 

 high also in the cold weather months of heavj'' dew and ground 

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