and Magazine of the Ceyl 



chisel. The wax prevents the entrance of other 

 fmigi, but it is a drawback in the present case, 

 because it hinders the bleeding. The control 

 experiment shows that tho diseased effect is not 

 produced by merely cutting the tree. As usual, 

 this method has been criticised and another 

 suggested, but i.nyona who has the slightest 

 knowledge of inoculations will i66> gnise 

 that it is the normal method, and the 

 only one which A'ill giv-9 any reliable 

 results. To attempt to imitate nature by 

 brushing the spores on the exterior of a tree 



Is Absolutely Worthless. 

 Infections must be localised and controll- 

 able. My object is to prove that the di- 

 sease is infectious, and to do that the inocu- 

 lation must be made under the most favour, 

 able conditions in order to secure results 

 as soon as possible. Suppose the spores are 

 brushed over the tree : the weather conditions 

 ma}' be unfavourable to germination and the 

 experiment may result in failure time after 

 time. And if the disease does begin on that 

 particular tree, there is no means of knowing 

 whether it is produced by those spores or others 

 which have arrived there later. The proof that 

 the disease is a stem disease and is caused by a 

 fungus is complete. There are many other 

 points to be enquired into, but they are chiefly 

 of scientific interest. At present, what is most 

 required is the adoption of the treatment re- 

 commended fifteen months ago. With regard 

 to the use of Bordeaux mixture, — I should not 

 apply this to old trees, say over thirty years old. 

 The fungus attacks these very slowly, and it 

 can be detected before it has done much 

 damage. Younger trees should be sprayed to 

 prevent infection. A correspondent suggests 

 that "people after spraying or painting 

 their seemingly uninfected trees will be un- 

 able to combat the latent disease which 

 will not be discovered till the tree is 

 killed." There is not much fear of this : 

 Bordeaux mixture will not prevent bleeding if 

 the tree is diseased. The same correspondent 

 wants to know : (1) How many feet of coconut 

 trunk the 50 gallons of Bordeaux mixture will 

 suffice for ? {■>) What is the "stronger" solution 

 for? (3) Would not painting with a brush be 

 more effective than spraying and prevent waste 

 of the mixture ? With regard to the first point, 

 about a pint should suffice for .the trees which 

 are most in need of spraying, that is the joung 

 trees. It depends how much tho cooly wastes. 

 (•2) The recipe for Bordeaux mixture was pub- 

 lished to correct tho advice of oue of the news- 

 ' papers that tho lime and coppor sulphate should 



'.on Agricultural Society. 287 



be mixed to the thickness of paint. The 

 "stronger" solution mentioned in my letter 

 gives the limit. I should use tho weaker, i.e. the 

 ordinary strength. (3) The cost of labour is 

 usually the chief item in making and applying 

 Bordeaux mixture. Brushing tht solution over 

 the trunk would probably waste less than spray- 

 ing, but it is entirely a question whether the 

 saving in solution will compensate for the 

 extra labour required. It is a matter for 

 experiment on the estate under ordinary estate 

 conditions. Several correspondents have taken 

 the trouble to write to me and point out 

 improved recipes for Bordeaux mixture. Bor- 

 deaux mixture was invented about 30 years ago, 

 and people have been trying to improve it ever 

 since. The literature of the subject would fill 

 scores of volumes. Every year some one brings 

 out a mixture which is more exact from the 

 chemist's standpoint, or which works more 

 quickly, etc., but not one of these stands the 

 test of actual practice. The United States De- 

 partment of Agriculture, with its army of che- 

 mists and botanists, still pins its faith to the 

 old formula. I may point out to my corres- 

 pondents that it is my business to - know what 

 has been written on such subjects. I was sur- 

 prised to find recently a coconut estate on which 

 all the tailen fronds and husks were burnt. It 

 was almost 



The First Clean Coeonut Estate 

 I had seen. Now, when I recommended burning 

 prunings on tea estates, I ran counter to many 

 people's ideas of manuring. I have quoted the 

 advice of the American Department of Agricul- 

 ture with regard to cleaning up coconut estates, 

 and I consider that it is a necessary part of 

 disease work. Whether the fungus of the stem 

 disease will live on the usual rubbish round a 

 coconut tree is a point I will decide during the 

 next rainy season : but from an ordinary sani« 

 tary point of view, [ should prefer to see all 

 such rubbish burnt. Of course, I interfere agaiu 

 with the manuring problem, especially with the 

 question of nitrogen. Burning all rubbish is 

 supposed to involve an enormous loss of nitro- 

 gen. In this connection, however, I must ask 

 my critics not to quote against me the amount 

 of nitrogen contained in fresh or dried fronds 

 and husks, but to find out how much of this 

 nitrogen ever becoa.es available for the trees if 

 the husks and fronds are allowed to dtcay on 

 the surface of the ground. This is a problem 

 which has never tfeen worked out for the 

 Tropics. By the way, Kainit has no special 

 fungicidal properties ; ' I have had forwarded, 



