COFFEE LEAF SPOT IN PORTO RICO. 7 
the process of clearing difficult and slow. Clearance was absolutely 
necessary, however, because the upper stand of coffee overhung 
the better stand. No regular coffee planting was found above 
the plat, but coffee trees were scattered among the wild growth. 
As a first step in the work of eradicating the disease, the coffee 
trees within the plat were cut to stumps approximately 6 or 9 inches 
high, the larger wild growth was chopped down, and all the cut 
material was either burned or removed from the field. The ground 
was cleared as completely as possible of all miscellaneous living plants 
and the shade trees were cleaned of vines and epiphytic plants so 
that only the coffee stumps and the shade trees would be left in the 
plat. The clearing was made to overlap the ridges in order that these 
natural barriers might serve as much as possible to prevent rein- 
fection. Personal supervision of the completion of the work was 
prevented by a labor strike, and it became necessary to leave to the 
peon in charge of the plantation the removal of scattered banana 
rootstocks and a large amount of the already cut growth from the 
central lower part of the plat. He was also instructed to set closely 
around the whole border three rows of banana trees to act as a barrier 
against the adjacent diseased coffee trees. 
NUMEROUS HOSTS. 
A thorough destruction of the miscellaneous growth in the plat 
was necessitated by the presence of a great number of plants which 
act as hosts to Stilbella flavida. Many of these plants were un- 
known to the men on the plantation. 3 Those found and examined 
included achiotilla, balsamo, bejuco de mono, bejuco de paloma, 
berugillo, bruja, cadillos, camasey bianco, camasey cimarron, china, 
helecho, guasabara, guayaro, guava, higiierillo, lechecillo, lengua 
de vaca, moca, nuez moscada cimarrona, palo de cucubano, palo de 
hueso, tostado, vinagrera, verba hedionda. Coffee seemed to be 
the favorite host, although there were several close seconds. It was 
found that a great many fruiting bodies developed from a single 
spot on the host plant bruja (Bryophyllum calycinum) ; and that 
moca {Andira inermis) should be avoided as shade for coffee, where 
the infection is to be cleaned out, because this tree may be a means 
of distributing the disease. The danger of infection from orange 
or guava (Inga. vera) trees seemed slight. The orange trees were 
almost clean, and the guava trees, though showing numerous spots, 
bore only one fruiting body. Guama (Inga laurina) seemed en- 
tirely free from infection and looked more vigorous than ffuava. 
3 The plants are, however, well known in Porto Rico and mention is made of them in 
order that the plantation owners may more readily know the host plants to be removed so 
that the disease can be combated. 
