The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



Enquiries made during last year showed that 

 the disease occurs on estates where salt is re- 

 gularly used as a manure as well as on estates 

 where it is not used. It was impossible to base 

 any recommendations as to the use of salt on 

 the replies to these enquiries. 



Finally, it is proposed to cut a hole in the 

 stem near the top on the same side as the 

 bleeding patsh and to till it with salt and 

 camphor in the belief that these will dissolve 

 and find their way inside the stem to the 

 affected part. But the conducting fibres of the 

 coconut stem run spirally from the base to the 

 top, and, supposing that the solution could 

 travel downwards, it would be practically im- 

 possible to decide where the hole ought to be 

 cut. Moreover, the internal application of 

 fungicides has never yet been successful. 



T. PETCH. 



THE COCONUT BLEEDING DISEASE. 



Those who have intelligently and systemati" 

 cally tackled the bleeding disease by cutting, 

 burning and tarring are, we are glad to hear, 

 well satisfied with the results, and have gener- 

 ally managed to keep their estates fairly clean. 

 The difficulty has been where the disease has 

 attacked young trees which do not permit of 

 cutting to the same extent as old ones. Mr. 

 Petch, we believe, is now fully satisfied that 

 the disease is infectious, and, therefore, re- 

 commends as a preventive measure the applica- 

 tion of Bordeaux mixture to the trees — equal 

 parts of sulphate of copper and lime mixed 

 with water to the thickness of paint or white- 

 wash. This can be either applied with a brush 

 or sprayed on. On one estate in the Chilaw 

 district, we hear of a Superintendent noted 

 for his efficiency, having a tank mounted on 

 wheels with a hose attached, which is taken 

 through the estate and with the aid of a pump 

 every tree is thoroughly sprayed with the mix- 

 ture. The poiDt of attack is almost invariably 

 about 6 or 7 feet from the ground so that if 

 the trees are properly treated for about 10 

 feet from the ground the chances of attack are 

 small, although, of course, the most effective 

 and surest way of preventing infection is to 

 do the whole tree. So quickly did the 

 news of this preventive measure get about that 

 we understand there is hardly an ounce of 

 sulphate of copper left in Colombo ! This is 

 all very well in big gardens, and the intelli- 

 gent planters may be depended upon to see the 



work carried out, and we are pleased to hear 

 that inspectors are to be shortly appointed to 

 go round the districts and carry out the work 

 on the small gardens of villagers. This is very 

 satisfactory. The outlook is altogethor brighter, 

 but coconut planters are not yet out of the wood, 

 and the moat systematic and careful supervision 

 of their properties mnst be persisted in. 



THE COCONUT BLEEDING DISEASE 



Feb. 14th. 



Db ak Sir, — I was very much interested in 

 Mr. T. Carry's letter published in your contem- 

 porary of 13th instant regarding the beneficial 

 effects of salt on coconut trees. His opinion 

 regarding the benefits of salt should not 

 be underrated, and I feel sure that planters 

 of experience like Mr. Wright, of Mirigama, 

 Dr. Dias, of Heneratgoda, and Mr. Beven, of 

 Veyangoda, will support him. I also saw an 

 article in the last number of the "'Tropical 

 Agriculturist " dealing with the use of salt 

 for agricultural purposes. The price of com- 

 mon salt is of course prohibitive, but 

 the crude salt, kainit, referred to by Mr. 

 Carry, is obtainable for practically one third 

 of the price of common salt, and is 

 quite as efficacious if not more so. I once 

 tried an experiment on one of my plantations 

 by suspending a bag containing 4 lb. of kainit 

 to the most tender branch of a tree which 

 appeared to be badly affected by some disease. 

 The tree was about 6 feet in height, and ap- 

 parently about 10 years old and had no nuts 

 on it. After some months the tree assumed 

 a healthy appearance, and later on commencd 

 to bear well. [ should mention, however, that 

 the property had been somewhat neglected 

 before I purchased it, and that in addition 

 to the above treatment I had the soil turned 

 up round the tree. But I feel no doubt in 

 my own mind that the kainit was principally 

 responsible for the improvement of the tree. I 

 have also found it very useful to sprinkle a 

 little kainit over cattle dung when applied to 

 a tree, and that this prevents the breeding 

 of beetles and other insects that do much harm 

 to a coconut tree. — Yours etc., 



E. 0. FELSINGER. 



[The use of salt for the coconut palm has been 

 urged at intervals for 40 years back ; and our 

 pamphlet calling on Government to allow salt to 

 be denaturalized for this purpose is many years 

 old.— Ed.] 



