September, 1012.] 



281 



A communication having been received from a planter calling atten- 

 tion to the danger of allowing the coconut palms felled for the Puttalam 

 Railway Extension to lie and decay on the ground, in view of their 

 providing suitable breeding places for the coconut beetle, the question 

 was submitted to the Government Entomologist, who, after conferring 

 with the Chief Constructor Engineer, gave his opinion as follows : — " It is 

 not necessary to grub up aud destroy the roots of the trees. As the stems 

 are to be used for construction purposes, these will require no further 

 attention for the present. But if used for fencing, they should be discar- 

 ded and burnt as soon as they show signs of internal decay. The most 

 dangerous part of the tree is the crown, the unripe top of which, being 

 useless for construction purposes, is liable to be left to decay on the ground. 

 Such tops form a prolific breeding ground for the coconut beetle and 

 should be destroyed either by burning, burying, or immersion in water. 

 The leaves themselves may be cut off and allowed to dry up. " 



The attention of the Government Entomologist having been called to 

 the account (given in the "Philippine Agricultural Review" for March 

 last) of a parasite of the coconut palm, which is reported as likely to prove 

 to be the most serious pest of this crop in the Philippines, Mr. Green 

 wrote : — " Aleyrodicus destructor has not yet been recorded from Ceylon. 

 I think that our fumigatoiium regulations, which ensure the fumigation 

 of all imported living plants, should be a sufficient safeguard against the 

 introduction of this pest. To make it still surer, I will recommend the 

 inclusion of all coconuts imported in the husk." 



A number of specimens of diseased coconut leaves submitted to the 

 Government Mycologist were reported on by that officer to be affected by 

 the common coconut leaf disease (Pestalozzia palmarum). In reply to a 

 correspondent, he states that it is extremely unlikely that artificial 

 manure has anything to do with the trouble, but on the contrary the 

 geneial experience is that manured and cultivated trees are less liable to 

 be attacked. He adds that there is no practicable method of combating 

 the disease. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture can only be done at a 

 prohibitive cost, and is not advised except in the case of plants one or 

 two years old very badly attacked. 



The Government Entomologist referring to specimens forwarded 

 from Bandaragama Garden of an insect feeding upon the leaves of Chry- 

 sophyllum Roxburghii, says : "The insect is a caterpillar of a moth 

 (Euproctis sp.) ; the specimens were too crushed to admit of exact deter- 

 ruination. The caterpillar is unlikely to give any serious trouble." 



Mr. Green, reporting on another specimen, says : " The insect said to 

 be damaging orange trees at Panadure is a Coreid bug (Leptoglossus 

 membranaceus). It is curious that this same insect has been attracting 

 attention all over the Island within the last three weeks. I have been 

 receiving it from Haputale, Haldummulla, Maskeliya, Kandy and Galle. 

 Everywhere it is accused of damaging vegetable plants and oranges. 

 Hitherto I have always regarded it as a rare and interesting species. The 

 only practicable treatment is to shake the tree over a sheet, collect the 

 fallen insects, and put them into a pail of kerosine and water. Contact 

 poisons strong enough to kill the insects on the trees would be harmful 

 to the foliage." 



Sericulture. 



The following is Professor Dunstan's report (No. 42,813 of March 20, 

 1912) on samples of silk produced at the Peradeniya Silk Farm (under the 



