133 



Kruyff, Director of the Department of Agriculture, do not make up 

 the tapioca into starch but cut the roots in two and dry them in the 

 sun, and thus dri'^d export them to Belgium, France and Holland 

 where they are utilised for the manufacture of alcohol. 



This cheap method might pay even while the tapioca is at so low 

 a price. — Ed. 



NOTES on THE ANGSANA TREE DISEASE IN 



PENANG. 



Between 30 and 40 years ago there grew along the sea front in 

 Malacca a magnificent avenue of Angsana trees {Pterocarpus 

 indicus), and it appears that about that time they were attacked by 

 some disease which killed practically the whole of them. Since that 

 date up to within about 4 years ago, the Angsana tree, which is i largely 

 planted in the Straits, and especially so in Penang, seems to have been 

 free from any attack, about the last mentioned date, however, I noticed 

 in Macalister Road, Penang, three medium-sized trees showing signs 

 of disease. Examination shewed no palpable cause, except an exhu- 

 dation of Kino. The trees died in less than three months, from the 

 first sign of attack and were cut down and burned. A few months 

 later, trees for the most part of the largest size, here and there along 

 the road sides began to exhibit the same symptons and eventually 

 died, the greatest number dying during the year 1898-1899. In all 

 close on a hundred trees have been killed by this disease, a calamity 

 of no small magnitude since, I have said they were mostly magnificent 

 trees averaging a diameter at 3 feet from the ground of about 5 feet. 

 As they form the principal shade-tree planted along our road sides, 

 it can be imagined how serious is the loss occasioned by the destruc- 

 ^ tion of such noble trees, to say nothing of the labour involved in 

 cutting them down. As regards the preventive measures adopted for 

 arresting the spread of the disease, the usual one of isolation was 

 tried, by digging a trench round the tree throwing the infected soil 

 inwards toward the stem, and liberally dusting the bottom and sides 

 of the trench with lime and sulphate of copper, powdered fine. 

 Unfortunately from the situation of the trees along the public roads, 

 ' with a metalled road on the one side, and a ditch on the other it was 

 impossible to completely encircle the tree, consequently two trenches 

 were cut one on either side of the tree, from the road to the ditch. 

 From such partial protection it was impossible to prevent the 

 mycelium travelling under ground from tree to tree. The ultimate 

 plan of cutting out every tree that was affected was adopted and I am 

 glad to say that although the disease is not perhaps quite stamped 

 out, it is under control. During the worst of the epidemic I got per- 

 mission of the Municipal Commissioners to invite Mr. Gallagher, the 

 then F.M.S. Government Mycologist (now Director of Agriculture) 



