Ill 



DISEASES AND PESTS 



49 



As is true of bud rot everywhere, the decaying tissue 

 has a powerful and vile odour. The stench is very characteristic, 

 but not easily described ; one of its components is the smell of 

 tan. Several organisms have been isolated from the decaying 

 bud, but no one has been proven to be the cause of the rot. 



Some of the owners of groves have found that if the first 

 leaves affected are pulled out, and the rotten mass removed as 

 completely as possible, new leaves will sometimes appear after- 

 ward, and that in some of these cases the tree recovers. One 

 planter states that 25 per cent of cures can be effected in this 

 way ; but I believe that if any trees ultimately recover they 

 are exceedingly few. For practical purposes the tree, once it 

 shows any symptoms of the disease, is valueless, and the thing 

 to be done is to prevent the spread of the disease from it to 

 other trees. The use of any disinfectant chemicals, unless in 

 the hands of experts, cannot be expected to be effective, because 

 of the difficulty in making them reach every part, or even any 

 part, of the diseased tissue. 



The only agent which can be relied upon to destroy the 

 organisms is fire. Every tree which shows symptoms of the 

 disease should have its heart, and the structures immediately 

 around it — the apex of the trunk and the bases of the leaves — 

 completely burned. During the drier months this is a matter 

 of but moderate difficulty, but during the rainy season it can 

 be done only by the use of kerosene. A vigorous campaign of 

 six months should so restrict the disease that it will cease to 

 be a serious menace to the coco-nut industry. 



This recommendation had been made a year earlier 

 by a botanist of the Bureau of Science, without any 

 result whatever. It has been made by every one who 

 has made a study of bud rot ; but a mere recommenda- 

 tion will not stop a pest. In this case, while the field 

 study was being made, and after it was finished, pains 

 were taken to talk with as many as possible of the men 

 owning or in charge of coco-nuts in the affected region, 

 and to give practical demonstrations of what ought to 

 be done. The municipal councils were then persuaded 

 to pass o/dinances requiring the burning of all infected 

 trees. These ordinances had no legal force, being 

 beyond the power of the municipalities. But they 

 showed the disposition of the people and officials of the 

 towns, and so made it easy to get similar legislation by 



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