ttnd Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society, 



589 



treatment which consisted of two mixtures 

 which were absorbed into the tree from two holes 

 bored at the bottom of the tree. His method of 

 treatment is not confined to the affected por- 

 tions only. It is claimed to be less expensive 

 and more efficacious than the method adopted 

 by the Plant Pests Board. Some of the trees, 

 which more almost dying within the town, were ex- 

 perimentally treated whileothers wereprofession- 

 ally treated and invariably in all the cases after 

 his treatment showed remarkable improvement. 

 Mr G Drieberg, Secretary of the Ceylon Agricultu- 

 ral Society, inspected some of the trees which were 

 under Mr Wijeymana streatment — Kalutara Cor. 



We learn on enquiry from Mr C Drieberg 

 that he inspected some of the trees treated 

 by Mr Wijeymana (in company with the 

 Totamune Mudaliyar). This was done in view of 

 certain correspondence which came before him 

 in the C. A. S. office — communications from Mr 

 Wijeymana himself, as well as favourable re- 

 ports of his 'cure.' After inspecting the 

 treated trees Mr Dneborg expressed tho opinion 

 that the treatment looked promising, but that 

 it was impossible to say anything definite till 

 at least three months had elapsed. Subsequently 

 Mr Wijeymana's remedy was brought to the 

 notice of Government and an offer was made to 

 have its efficacy tested, by the treatment of a 

 number of trees under his eye, by the Govern- 

 ment Mycologist. Whether this offer was ac- 

 cepted and the trial is in progress Mr Drieberg 

 has not heard. 



COCONUT DISEASE IN TRAVANCORE : 

 AND THE CEYLON "BLEEDING." 



Peradeniya, May 12th. 



8iR,^Dr. Butler's report on tho Coconut 

 Disease in Travancore, for which I have to thank 

 you, clearly indicates that that disease is not 

 identical with the stem bleeding disease ofCey Ion. 



The symptoms, which ho describes, are exhi- 

 bited by the crown of the tree. li Tho first indi- 

 cation 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 drop. : ' "Even 

 In the first year or two the nuts are affected, 

 They are fewer and smaller than usual." Now, 

 the most remarkable feature of the Ceylon dis- 

 ease is the absence of any indication in the 

 crown of the tree, even when the stem is seriously 

 affected. 1 have seen a tree completely hoi' 

 lowed out to ft height of fourteen feetj but 



the crown was as vigorous as those of the neigh- 

 bouring trees which were not attacked by the 

 disease. Again, two tall thirty-year-old treed 

 examined a week ago have numerous bleeding 

 patches in tho top four feet, but the leaves are 

 not drooping and each is bearing about eighty 

 nuts. One estate, on poor soil, reported in 1906 

 that the crop had diminished, but no figures 

 were given in support of this statement,and there 

 was a general diminution of crop in 1906 from 

 other causes. No one has professed to be able 

 to detect the disease before the tree begins 

 to bleed. 



One or two phrases in Dr. Butler's report 

 might, on superficial reading seem applicable to 

 the Ceylon disease : " In some cases cracking, 

 of the rind with exudation of gum occurs in 

 the early stages, it is not a general symptom 

 but only seen in a few cases." This probably 

 refers to the exudation of gum-resiu which 

 often forms hard globular masses on the stem, 

 and is generally produced when a leaf is torn 

 off: it is scarcely possible that such a con- 

 spicuous feature as the black or brown 

 patches of the bleeding disease (which are 

 not resinous) would be dismissed so briefly, es- 

 pecially when it is remembered that the de- 

 cayed tissue is found beneath them. " A brown 

 discoloration frequently appears after cutting 

 open the trunk. This is apparently more marked 

 in diseased than in healthy trees. It is not 

 visible ivhen first cut, is quite unconnected with 

 any parasite, and is probably due to an oxida- 

 tion process " (italics mine.) The discoloration 

 here referred to always occurs after a coconut 

 tree has been cut : no doubt everybody working 

 at the " bleeding disease :; has noticed that the 

 sound tissue, which is white when cut, rapidly 

 turns brown on exposure to the air. But this is not 

 a sign of disease, and Dr. Butler's words do 

 not refer to the mass of decayed tissue which is 

 found on cutting into a bleeding stem, partic- 

 ularly a young one. 



It is evident from Dr. Butler's report that he 

 has not seon trees with bleeding patches such as 

 occur in Ceylon, nor has he found any decay 

 inside the stem. We can only conclude that 

 the Travancore disease is quite distinct from any 

 disease yet discovered in Ceylon. 



In tho report of the Royal Botanic Gardens for 

 1907, I have referred to a single instance of 

 another coconut disease in Ceylon, and have stated 

 that it is probably identical with the Travancore 

 disease. This new disease is indicated by the 

 tieath of a fpgle leaf about midway between, 



