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27ie Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



the south, on paddy lands, and in the hills. 

 One estimate gave about 250,000 acres under 

 palms. The exports for 1903 were approximately 

 a crore of rupees' worth of all kinds of coconut 

 produce, cil, copra , coir and nuts. The internal 

 consumption is very great. Apart from those 

 actually engaged in palm cultivation -land- 

 holders, tenants, labourers,* etc., the coir 

 industry alone supports 133.047 persons accord- 

 ing to the Census of 1901. One of the densest 

 populations in India (six of the taluks have 

 over 1,000 persons to the square mile and 

 three over 1,300) is maintained primarily by 

 this palm. It is natural that any diminution 

 of yield due to disease should have forced itself 

 on the notice not only of the cultivators but of 

 the State authorities. Still it is an indication 

 of the insidious nature of the attack of the 

 disease here dealt with that, though Minachil 

 has been affected for thirty or forty years, it 

 does not appear to have been brought to the 

 notice of Government until much later, in a 

 memorial from the ryots of Kaviyur and Kal- 

 loopara, dated 24th April, 1897. Even yet the 

 serious state of affairs is not realised in many 

 localities where it is considered a passing 

 affliction, though the experience of the older 

 affected localities, such asMinachil, should serve 

 as a warning. The extent of the damage al- 

 ready caused by this disease may perhaps be 

 gauged by the fact that, in spite of the rise in 

 prices in recent years, the trade in coconut pro- 

 duce accounted only for 32 per cent, of the entire 

 State oxports in 1905 1906, against an average 

 for decades past of nearly 50 per cent. In the 

 short time at my disposal I was unable to ascer- 

 tain the exact limits of the area said to be 

 affected by the disease. It is confined to North 

 Travancore ; from north to south it extends 

 from Shertollay to probably near Quilon; inland 

 it reaches the foot of the hills at Erattupetta. 

 The total area affected is, however, unknown. 



THE EARLIEST RECORD OF THE OUTRREAK 



that I could obtain was at Erattupetta in 

 Minachil taluk. Here it was variously stated 

 to have commenced thirty or forty years ago. 

 In so remote a period the cultivators' recollec- 

 tions are likely to be mere approximations; 

 still it is certainly of more than thirty years 

 standing. From Erattupetta it spread slowly 

 westward to Minachil, Lalam and Pulliyanur. 

 The latter is said to have first got the disease 

 above twenty-live years ago. Further to the 

 west it is still spreading slowly in a continuous 

 line ; a village about seven miles west of Pulli- 

 yanur was, I was told, reached only two years 

 back. At the same time outbreaks occurred in 

 mauy other parts of North Travancore. At 

 Changanacherry I was told it had been noticed 

 about twenty years ago, but some gardens have 

 been attacked within the last two years. At 

 Alleppey, where it is confined to a small 

 area, it was also first observed about 

 twenty years ago. In each case after the 

 first outbreak in one garden, neighbouring gar- 

 dens have been successively attacked, and every- 

 where seen, there were the same indications 

 of gradual spread from one or a few original 

 centres of infection. Besides coconut several 

 other species of palm are attacked- The areca 

 palm is even more severely affected at Minachil 



and opinions were unanimous there that this 

 was the first variety to become diseased. The 

 talipot (Corypha umbraculifera) is not nearly so 

 common as those two, but several oases of 

 disease in this pal in were brought to my notice. 

 Similarly the sago palm {Caryota wens) is some- 

 times affected. 1 heard of no case in palmyras. 

 In the others the symptoms are alike, and there 

 is no reason to c oubt that all suffer f rtftn the 

 same disease. The symptoms are those of a 

 slow and progressive deterioration of the palm, 

 in sharp contrast to the rapidly fatal palm 

 disease of the Godavari Delta on the West 

 Coast. They are not always developed in the 

 same order and some, such as an exudation of 

 gum from the trunk, are only occasionally found. 

 As a general rule the first indication that 



A COCONUT PALM IS ATTACKED 



is the opening out of the outer leaves from the 

 head. The leaf stalk becomes slightly flaccid 

 and the weight of the leaf causes the 

 whole to droop. Then the ends of the 

 pinnae or leaflets at the extremity of the 

 leaf become flaccid and haug down almost ver- 

 tically. This is accompanied by a loss of colour ; 

 the drooping and discolouration of tho leaflets 

 then extend gradually backwards to the whole 

 leaf. Later on the tips of the leaflets turn yellow 

 and dry up, followed gradually by the entire 

 leaf, which eventually hangs down withered 

 from the crown. The attachment of the leaf 

 sheath to the tree is weakened so that the outer 

 discoloured leaves can be easily torn off from the 

 crown. One after another, or many together, 

 all the leaves are similarly affected ; intermediate 

 conditions are common, young trees often 

 have a large propoition of leaves healthy 

 with only a few yellowed, others have all the 

 leaves equally discoloured and drooping at the 

 tips of the leaflets, before any dry up. Gradu- 

 ally, as the palm weakens, new leaves that are 

 put out are smaller than of old. This is appa- 

 rent even before they unfold from the bud, and 

 results in the central or leading shoot, which 

 is merely the unopened new leaf bud, becoming 

 stunted and pallid. Later on it begins to wither 

 and tho upper free part turns brown. Even- 

 tually it may dry up altogether, but this may 

 not occur for many years. Even in the first year 

 or two 



THE NUTS ARE AFFECTED. 



Thoy are fewer and smaller than unial. On 

 splitting, the husk is found unaltered and 

 usually tho shell also. The white kerne) is, 

 however, shrivelled and indurated and copra 

 prepared from it is said to be deficient ir, oil. 

 The fluid inside is reduced in quantity (or 

 even I was told sometimes absent, though 1 

 did not see any such case) and is altered in 

 quality, becoming unpalatable to drink. In 

 later stages a large proportion of the nuts 

 drop in an immature condition. In more severe 

 cases the spathes are unable to burst out at all 

 or, if they do, rot away early and the palm be- 

 comes barren. 



In healthy palms a bunch of nuts is given about 

 every two months. The best trees in the sub- 

 montane districts yield about sixty to eighty 

 nuts a year. Nearer the coast the yield may 

 rise to eighty or hundred, though the average 

 is much lower. I was shown one fine palm tha» 



