82 
The result of this disease is that canes which if they had remained 
healthy would have given a large yield of rich juice, are found to be 
rod valueless, and so far from themselves yielding sugar, their 
nce amongst crushed canes actually leads to a marked deterioration 
of t the j juice and of the sugar manufactured therefrom, as well as t 
pee nil in the quantity of the sugar obtained. 
This disease is present in probably every canefield in the island, and 
the wal eo of 1894 is clearly fou nd to be very seriousl ish 
y it. And your Commissi ce have formed, after ‘the most careful 
consideration, the very disquietirg opinion that if it be left unchecked 
the cultivation of the sugar-cane will be rendered unprofitable, and 
therefore extinct in this island. ith the presi outlook as regards 
remain the staple of the island, large crops must be maintained at a 
minimur cultivation cost, and this cannot Dy be accomplished: in 
the presence of any serious amount = disease 
Rinp FuNGvS AND Motu BORER. 
From the appearance it would seem that the rind disease in at all 
events a large number of cases started from the burrow of the Moth 
er. It would seri tC Debido -up to say December in each 
year the dia makes an entrance into the cane at spots injured Mo ed 
—— ee which bt therefore be looked “upon as a very seri 
pest. 
From January onwards, however, an increasing n aue of canes will 
S found attacked by rind fungus, and without any signs of Borer what- 
From a careful examination of such canes it would appear that 
the attack had started from the middle or base of the cane as the fungus. 
is most mature there, first sending out the black specks (which are 
exterminate the Moth Bore 
Root Funeus. 
us red present we leave the subject of rind fungus to deal | with 
that of “root fungus” so called ; specimens of which ;have also been 
D arid reported upon by Mr. Massee, who determined it to be a 
fungus known as Colletotrichum falcatum, a species recently described 
Dr. Went as injuring the canes at Java. 
emen m eei of this disease, as far as we have examined it, are 
m 2 It was at first confined for the most part to the higher red ow 
of St. John, wr only appeared in small patches in a Ms Aa 
~ “other places but has since spread i in Prt gh all over the island. - 
" "d 
