DISEASES OF CACAO 97 



and habit of Diplodia cacaoicola, and that, if not identical 

 with that species, it is so nearly related as to be without good 

 distinguishing characters for making specific separation. 

 Closer study may, however, reveal the presence of such char- 

 acters in an organism whose life history is not fully recorded. 

 Jumelle, in his " Le Cacaoyer," 1899, records a disease 

 attacking cacao as BotryodiplodiaTheobromcB, so determined 

 by MM. Patouillard and de Lagerheim ; and Ho\yard 

 mentions that Engler and Prantl refer to it as occurring 

 in Ecuador. Botryodiplodia diplocarpa, Ellis and Everht, 

 was found on orange in Trinidad, 1899. The ultimate 

 determination of the organism or organisms which cause 

 " Brown Rot," " Die-Back," and " Root Disease " must 

 still remain open until the full life history has been worked 

 out, a labour which will probably take some time to 

 complete. Meanwhile, it would appear preferable to 

 refer to it under Fries' name, Diplodia. Under whatever 

 name presented, however, it is evident that this disease 

 is responsible for a very large amount of damage on cacao 

 estates in the West Indies, and that its effects are lasting 

 once an estate is attacked. It is a facultative parasite, 

 or one which can exist on dead matter, and is at the same 

 time able to attack and destroy living tissue. It spreads 

 principally by means of its spores, and when we consider 

 that a single cacao pod is capable of producing ten million 

 and more of these, each individual one of which is capable 

 of reproducing disease, it becomes clearly evident that 

 a very deadly enemy is present. While studying the 

 character of the fungus and the methods by which it is 

 spread, it has been observed that the spores of this fungus 

 are capable of germinating and can grow their own diameter 

 in less than an hour, a fact which shows the importance 

 of being able to diminish their numbers with all possible 

 facility. If a wound is made or a branch cut off, and the 

 operator neglects to use antiseptic quickly, there is always 

 the danger that the tree may be infected with disease 

 from wind-borne spores, if such are allowed to accumulate 

 on plantations. Providence is good, however, and has 



