May r, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
78s 
COCONUT LEAF DISCOLORATION AND 
ALLEGED DISEASE) IN CEYLON. 
The Editor, Tropical Agriculturist, Colombo. 
Colonial Secretary's Office, Colombo, March 20th. 
Sir, — I am direoted to forward to you the en- 
closed reports made by the Superintendent of the 
School of Agriculture on the coconut leaf disease 
in Oeylon. — I am, sir, your obedient servant, 
R. A. BROHIER, 
for Colonial Secretary. 
Kandy, April 20th, 1889. 
I beg to report that I visited Veyangoda on the 
27th March, spending part of the 27th and 28th in 
enquiring into the subject of the ' disease ' affectiug 
the coconut palm. In certain areas in Veyangoda I 
observed that the trees were in a very backward con- 
dition — looking sickly and parched. I brought away 
with me leaves from affected fronds, and examined 
the discoloured portions of these leaves under the 
mioroscope at the School of Agriculture. [This instru- 
ment was neither complete in its fittings, nor power- 
ful enough for the examination of minute fungi. j I 
wa«, however, able to discover a parasitic fungiu in 
the specimens I brought away witb me. 
I had huped to be allowed sufficient time to carry 
on my enquiry into the subject more thoroughly 
than I have done, using what intervals of time I had 
to spare, and availing myself of extraneous aid offered 
me in the matter of getting at batter microscopic 
appliances. 
I have, however, been able to visit districts where 
coconuts are cultivated both far from, and near to, 
the coast, and to note the different modes of culti- 
vation and treatment of the soil adopted in the various 
plantations ; and I have no hesitation in saying that 
thorough cultivation i8 the surest way of combatting 
the evil. Where the trees have been helped to main- 
tain their vigour the affection was at a minimum, 
and in places where I would have expected to see the 
trees badly affected, but where as thorough cultivation 
as one would have expected to find in the best agri- 
cultural districts in England, was adopted, there was 
hardly any indication of the ' disease ' to be noticed. 
In areas where the attack was at its worst the soil 
was generally not in a condition favourable to lux- 
uriant growth. A favourable chemical conditiou of 
soil is correlative to a good meohanical condition 
produced by working, liming, draining, &c. Thorough, 
deep cultivation must bo adopted in soils inclined at 
all to bo heavy — even at the risk of temporary loss, 
followed by liming — aad if necessary — manuring. Deep 
draining is especially neoessary for heavy soils. No 
one who has seen these operations carried out under 
necessary conditions, and seen their results, can doubt 
their efficacy in preventing those conditions in the 
crops grown which favour attack from fungoid and 
inseot peets. 
Now in enquiring into the cause of a weakly growth, 
I would enquire first, whether good " seed," from a 
healthy and well-developed stock was used, whether 
the planting was properly done, and whether tho crop 
has been well treated. It is difficult in the case of 
a perennial like the coconut, to get at the remote 
antecedents of the plant, but to any one coming from 
a country where tbe art of agriculture is practised to 
perfection, the niggardly treatment of the soil, and 
especially coconut soils, in the generality, is most 
etrikiug. Where the advantages of a fallow or a rota- 
tion are shut out, it behoves cultivators of coconuts 
to use every atrificial means of maintaining the fertility 
of the soil. As exceptions, I have seen coconut estates 
under a very perfect system of cultivation, and as I 
mentioned before, they sbowod no indication of suffer- 
ing from ' disease '--the plantations wore, moreover, 
on a comparatively stiff sod, and at a distance from 
tho sea. I cmnot agree that salt, and salt only is 
necessary to raise the affected coconut tree to a healthy 
state, but I do not mean to underrate the value of 
salt in cooouut cultivation : and I may hero state 
99 
that a supply of salt under easier conditions, but 
with what precautions may be thought proper to pre. 
elude it from being used for culinary purposes, is a 
great desideratum. But it must be remembered that 
the use of manures must follow cultivation of the 
soil; and in heavy soils, without thorough deep drain- 
ing, the advantage of manuring are nullified. Then 
all these operations so necessary to a soil continually 
growing the same crop, must be regularly and system- 
atically carried out, not in patch-work style. No 
experiment is required to prove their necessity. Re- 
sults must be waited for: it will take time under the 
effects of previous ill-treatment. 
An outlay of capital is, of course, necessary, but tho 
inoreased returns, and the resultant vigour of tho 
tree— enabling it to withstand attack, will more than 
repay this outlay. 0. Driebekg. 
SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT. 
In sending out this Supplementary Report on the 
Coconut Leaf Disease question I need not apologise for 
the delay in its appearance, for those who understand 
the nature of such an enquiry will admit that it 
must be based on close observation, and entail time 
sufficient for examination of leaves and of soil, for 
watching phenomena as they oocur in time, for ob- 
serving the effect of changes of c'imate and temperature, 
for enquiring into the history and progress of the 
p'antations, and gathering a vast amount of information 
regarding various estates. I have spent much time 
in this, but no more than was necessary to enaole me 
to come to the conclusions I have arrived at. During 
the past nine months I have, through the courtesy 
of estate proprietors and lessees, been enabled to 
visit a number of estates with the object of making 
observations, and of gathering information which they 
were only too ready to give me. I take this oppor- 
tunity of recording my gratitude for the help they 
have afforded me in this way. 
But perhaps I owe an apology to many who will read 
this report for entering too minutely into the chemical 
aspect of soil, cultivation and plant-growth. Many 
who are perfectly conversant with the facts. 
Since my first report, however, questions in this 
connection have arisen in the columns of the daily 
press, and discussions have been carried on on agri- 
cultural ohemioal subjects, involving points that were 
scarcely fairly stated. I had neither the time nor the 
inclination to take part in these discussions, but at 
the same time, feeling it my duty to in some way 
help towards the clearing up of some of the points 
that have arisen, I take the opportunity of ex- 
pressing my views and tho authorised opinions in 
support of those views, in this report, for, as a matter 
of fact, the questions at issue are closely connected 
with the subject of the proper cultivation of coconuts. 
I have endeavoured to summarise the discussion as 
much as possible, and at the same time to note the 
weighty opinions of men who have had long experience 
in coconut cultivation : and the conclusions I have arrived 
at are, as I hope to show, in accordance with the 
ideas of both practical and scientific men of repute. 
Public attention was first drawn to coconut leaf- 
disease in Ceylon in a letter from the Veyangoda 
correspondent to the " Examiner " in its issue of the 
3lst January 1889, when it was thus described:— " It 
(the disease) is first observable as orange-coloured 
spots on the leaves. No fungoid growth is observable 
by the naked eye, only the discoloration of the leaf. 
As time wears on the orange coloured spots dry up 
and are of the oolour of withered leaves. Some 
fronds are so severely affeoted as to die off, and in these 
an ashy substanoe very like fungus is observable by 
the naked eye." Specimens of leaves with the disease 
were forwarded to Dr. Trimen, Director of the Pera- 
deniya Gardens, who, after a cursory examination 
gave it as his opinion that " their appearance sug- 
bests a failure of proper nutrition : " he would "look 
to the roots and the soil for the cause." "I cannot 
but think" Baid Dr. Trimen "that these (plants) are 
being grown under some uncongenial conditions.. ." 
" one requires to know the history and surroundings 
of the plants themselves and watch their progress 
