DISEASES AND PESTS 69 



1. This Ordinance may be cited as " The Coco-nut Trees 

 Preservation Ordinance 1890." 



2. It shall be the duty of the owner or person in charge of 

 every coco-nut tree which is dead or is attacked by the beetle 

 secondly described in the schedule forthwith to uproot such 

 tree and either to consume it with fire or to bury it in the 

 ground at a depth of not less than three feet, or to keep it 

 completely submerged in water so that the beetle and all eggs 

 and larvae thereof may be totally destroyed and that the tree 

 may not serve as a breeding-place for any or either of the 

 beetles in the schedule mentioned. 



3. If any person without reasonable excuse (the burden of 

 proof whereof shall lie on the accused) neglects or refuses to 

 perform the duty imposed upon him by the last preceding 

 section, he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five dollars for 

 every tree in respect of which such neglect or refusal occurs, 

 and the Director of Gardens and Forests, or the District 

 Officer, or such other Officer as the Governor may appoint in 

 that behalf, may cause to be performed the duty so neglected 

 or refused to be performed, and may recover the cost of such 

 performance from the defaulter in the Court of Bequests. 



4. (1) If any person keeps on his premises dead coco-nut 

 trees or stumps of coco-nut timber, rubbish heaps or other 

 accumulations of dung, vegetable refuse or other matter which 

 would be likely to harbour or become breeding-places for the 

 said beetles, and neglects or refuses to remove or destroy the 

 same when required so to do by a notice in writing from 

 any of the persons mentioned in the next following sub-section, 

 he shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty-five dollars. 



(2) A notice in writing under the last preceding sub-section 

 may be given by any of the following persons, namely : 



(a) The Director of Gardens and Forests. 



(b) Any District Officer. 



(c) Any Officer whom the Governor may appoint in that 

 behalf. 



(d) Any owner or occupier of land planted with coco-nut 

 trees and situated within one mile of the premises on which 

 such dead coco-nut trees, or stumps, or coco-nut timber, or other 

 accumulations of dung, vegetable refuse, or other matter are kept. 



(3) Upon the conviction of any person under this section 

 the Magistrate may make an order authorizing : 



(a) The Director of Gardens and Forests, 



(b) Any District Officer, 



(c) Any Officer appointed to give notice under sub-section 

 (2) hereof, 



