7 
scales being largely sheltered by the fibrous sheathing bases of 
the leaves, the successful application of insecticides would be 
difficult but not necessarily impossible. Mr. Cradwick will 
undertake some experiments on this line. 
An interesting experiment has been tried on one of the planta- 
tions of the United Fruit Co., in firing the dead leaves and fibers 
hanging on the diseased trees. The flame kills all the fruits and 
open flowers and most of the expanded leaves, but the apical bud 
is not injured and new leaves and flowers are soon developed. 
This seems like heroic treatment, but two trees were pointed out 
that had been fired six months ago, when they were in advanced 
stages of the disease. Now they seem entirely recovered and 
are putting on a new crop of fruit. This firing of the trees has 
also been suggested as a remedy for the bud disease. The 
chances for success would seem to be much less in that case, for 
the disease so soon becomes deeply seated. 
Cocoanut Trunk Borer.— A few trees were observed where 
areas on the trunk two or three feet or more in extent had been 
bored full of small holes about 1 mm. in diameter. Minute 
white larvee were found at the bottom of some of these burrows 
but none were taken in condition for identification. A rotting of 
the trunk soon follows these borings, and if the insect was 
abundant it would cause considerable loss. It was only observed 
in one grove and there only in a few trees. 
Cocoanut Trunk Rot. — A few cases were observed where some 
slight injury allowed the entrance of a rot that destroyed the en- 
tire center of the trunk. In one case an outer rind of less than 
half an inch of healthy wood remained, a decomposing liquid run- 
ning out when this was cut through. Strangely enough the top of 
this tree still seemed healthy and vigorous, but the rot in the 
center of the trunk had reached to within a few inches of the base 
of the bud. Such cases seem to be very rare, but they show the 
importance of avoiding unnecessary wounds of the trunk, 
Banana Leaf-Blight. —On one locality at Stony Hill, north of 
Kingston, a serious banana disease was observed. It causes the 
browning of the vascular bundles in the veins and midrib of the 
leaves. This is soon followed by the blackening of the entire 
