Si 



healthy discussion which will lead to the elucidation of a 

 subject which there is no gainsaying is of great import- 

 ance to the planting industry. 



DISEASED ROOTS OF PARA RUBBER TREES 

 FROM SINGAPORE. 



During my recent visit to Selangor I was shewn round one of 

 the leading Coffee and Para Rubber Estates, and I admired as no 

 one could help admiring the splendid Coffee and Rubber trees, 

 and the admirable way the estate was evidently managed. The 

 one drawback, however, was the white ant pest, and it was truly 

 grievous to see fine four year old Para Rubber trees killed by their 

 attacks. At my request the manager was good enough to have 

 several trees that were attacked pulled up. So that we could 

 examine the roots. My object in doing so was twofold, first I 

 wanted to see the kind of termite, but the chief reason was to look 

 out for fungus, for I suspected that white ants were not alone the 

 cause, nor was I wrong in my surmise for I succeeded in finding a 

 fungus as I had suspected. Now I am aware I am on debateable 

 ground, I mean as to whether the particular tree I examined which 

 had fungus on its roots, was killed by that fungus, or by white ants 

 or by both, and I shall be glad if it provokes discussion and cause 

 planters to observe carefully and give their opinion in the Bulletin. 

 My own theory is that in this particular instance the fungus was 

 the cause. At any rate there can be no doubt of the deadly nature 

 of the fungus which proved to be a species of Helicobasidium 

 probably H. mompa. as determined by Mr. Massee of Kew, who 

 writes as follows : — 



The roots are attacked by a fungus belonging to the genus 

 Helicobasidium, which appears to be very closely allied to, if not 

 identical with H. mompa, a fungus very destructive to the mulberry 

 tree in Japan. The specimens sent are sterile, hence the spec ies 

 cannot be determined with certainty. 



The fungus travels from one tree to another by means of cordlike 

 mycelium spreading in the soil. 



The various methods for dealing with root-parasites of fungus 

 origin are given in " Kew Bulletin " 1896, p. 3 . 



Preventive Measures. 



Owing to the habit of the fungus in penetrating and spreading 

 in the living tissues of the root of its victim, cure is practically out- 

 side the question when a plant is once permeated with mycelium ; 

 and keeping in view the varied modes of reproduction for facilitat- 

 ing the rapid spread of the disease, no efforts should be spared in 

 the way of preventing such spreading, when the presence of the 

 fungus is once detected. 



L ndoubtedly the most frequent and rapid mode of spreading is 

 by means of the mycelium travelling in the soil, and a good method 

 of isolating diseased patches is to cut a narrow trench, from nine 

 inches to a foot deep round such, care being taken to throw the 



