535 



IN St. LUCIA, WEST INDIES. 



According to the report on the Agricultural School of St. 

 Lucia, Para rubber is not in demand by planters. The plants had 

 to be given away. There was much mortality among the young 

 plants when about one foot tall, and after they were well- 

 established in bamboo pots 50 per cent died. The cause of the 

 loss was unknown. Possibly the bamboo pots had something to 

 do with it. Why use them? Castilloa is perhaps more 

 suitable for the West Indies, and seems to be doing well there. 

 Some rubber from the trees was sent to the Imperial Institute, was 

 analysed, and found to be of good quality, though with too much 

 resin, possibly due to youth of trees. It was valued at 3s 6d per lb. 

 against Para hard at 4s 3%d.— Ed. 



DISEASES OF RUBBER TREES. 



A lecture given by Mr Petch, the mycologist of Ceylon, 

 given to the Kelani Planters Association about 2 months ago, and 

 it ends the discussion it evoked, has appeared in several papers. 



The first fungus dealt with was Corticium javanicum, which was 

 described as the "pink disease" and said to be called "writing" in 

 the Straits. As there is more than one pink fungus, it is perhaps 

 better to call it by some other name, and Corticium is as easy to 

 remember as any other. Mr. Petch pointed out that it grew also on 

 Crotalaria and that this plant would serve as a source of disease to 

 the rubber. It grows on a good many other half shrubby plants 

 too, but our experience is only where there is overcrowding and 

 consequent excessive dampness. 



The next disease mentioned was called "Die back", a circular 

 dealing with which is promised. From the description given by Mr. 

 Petch, it sounds like the black fungus we have recently described in 

 the Bulletin, but Mr. Petch states that "the fungus which started 

 the disease would not do anything to kill the green shoot, but after 

 the death of the leading shoot another fungus got in and carried on 

 the destruction right down the tree. The second fungus was one that 

 came out in black spores on all dead Hevea." 



There seemed to have been some confusion between this disease 

 and an unusual fall of leaf in August and September due in part at 

 least to climatic conditions. The report of the lecture here becomes 

 somewhat obscure, but it is probable that this die-back is the same 

 as the black fungus already described in the Bulletin, and in that 

 case certainly the specimens sent to the Botanic Gardens, Singapore 

 shewed the disease in and below still green buds, and was 

 presumably the sole cause of the death. 



The "Canker" was the next disease mentioned. It was known 

 in 1900-1904 in Kalutara, but seemed to have almost or quite disap- 

 peared, but had reappeared this year. In 1903 it had usually 



