3 * I 



The pineapple scurf-scale Aulacaspis bromeliw, Kcrner, is des-l 

 cribed and figured in the Cape Agricultural Journal (XVI, p. 100,) il 

 is a greyish white scale nearly circular and flat. It has long been 

 known in European pineries and seems to have been accidentally I 

 introduced into South Africa on a pine from Madeira. It is stated 

 to be a very serious pest and to have destroyed pineapple cultiva- 

 tion in Madeira. It infests both sides of the leaf of the pineapple 

 and is easily seen. I do not know of its occurring in the Straits, ■- 

 but it occurs in Africa, Europe and Hawaii. 



Fruit rot. — This disease is very common here, and has been 

 well described by Mr. TRYON (Queensland Agricultural Journal j 

 1898, p. 458) under the name of Care-ro!, a very misleading name 

 as that part of the pine which is commonly known as the care is 

 never affected by it. Fruit affected by this may appear to have 

 ripened unevenly, patches on the surface remaining green while the 

 rest of the fruit possesses the orange or red color of ripeness, bul 

 often there is nothing on the outside to show that inside there is 

 decay. ( Occasionally again there is a depression or hole in the sur- 

 face above the diseased portion. On cutting the pine across, it is 

 seen that one or more of the segments, botanically one or more 

 fruit is rotten, the placenta and wads of the ovary decayed or very 

 often dry and withered up leaving a hole in the flesh. Usually there 

 is more than one of these affected in a diseased pine, but the 

 disease. does not spread to the core of the fruit nor from one fruit- 

 let to another. The disease is due to the attacks of a fungus allied 

 to Moiiilia Candida Pers. which seems to enter the fruit by some 

 wound, such as that caused by the mile above described. In a pine 

 thus diseased taken from a factory I found a mite very similar to 

 that described and figured by Mr. TRYON, and also a very small 

 species of the order Collcmboia* a very small semi-transparent white 

 insect, which did not apparently possess the spring apparatus ol 

 most species of that order. this disease here however is said by 

 Mr. LANDAU to be caused by a beetle. In any case it appears that 

 whatever insect inflicts the wound the real destruction is caused by 

 the fungus. Mr. LANDAU informs me that the disease is common in 

 low ground but rare in the dryer hilly fields. Fruit-rot though not 

 completely destroying the fruit, spoils it for sale purposes, and in 

 tinning the parts decaying have to be excised. In some factories in 

 the case of pines so diseased the fruit is preserved in the form of 

 chunks or cubes. The decayed bits being cut out and thrown away. 



Broken heart is the name given in the Straits to a somewhat 

 similar disease which ho vever commences under the crown of leaves 

 at the top of the fruit. A black spot appears and increasing the 

 decay forms a hole in the core about an inch or more deep running 

 downwards. A gummy matter is exuded into the hollow. In the few 

 examples of this disease I have seen, I saw no insects but it seems 

 probable that the decay arises from some injury probably caused 

 by an insect in the crown. It chiefly occurs in wet lands like the 

 last disease, rarely in a dry hilly plantation. Mr. Landau informs 

 me that this disease is propagated by using suckers from an infected 



