288 
were dying suddenly with just such an appearance as if some 
poisonous liquid had been thrown upon them. It was at first 
suspected that some weed-killer had accidently been thrown there, 
but the patch of dying plants increased to an area of about ten 
yards and the roots and base of the stem of the fig-tree became 
black, and some months after the attack commenced the fructi- 
fication of the fungus was found on the roots of the fig-tree, now 
quite rotten, and on other shrubs and trees in the affected area. 
Hardly did one plant of any kind escape attack, trees, shrubs, 
ferns, rattans and other palms, dracaenas and aroids went down 
before this pest. The succulent Dieffciibacmas alone seemed to 
defy it ar<i even uiie oi those was affected. The fungus attack- 
ed the roots first; and soon appeared as a black sooty substance 
on the stem at the base just above and below the ground, the 
leaves dropped, turned of a pale greenish colour, and the plant 
was dead. The fructification appears as round globose black 
pustules about as big as snipe-shot covered with warts and dense- 
ly crowded together. To extirpate the pest the ground was 
first cleared of all dead or dying plants, rotten wood, sticks, 
etc., all the affected roots of the fig-tree were cut off, and all the 
infected material burnt, the ground was then dug over and lime 
liberally strewed about and dug in. Bordeaux mixture (Copper 
sulphate and lime in water) was liberally poured over the base 
of the fig-tree, and over the ground. The disease seemed to be 
checked at once, it spread no further, and some small trees which 
had been attacked but not killed recovered. The fig-tree put 
out new roots and seems none the worse. 
t Wnite Nutmegs . — In two valuable papers on the Nutmeg (De 
Noot Muskaat Cultur in de Minahassa, and Dela Dehiscence du 
fruit du Muscadier, published at Buitenzorg) Mr. J. M. Janse 
treats of the so-called white nutmeg disease, which he attributes 
to the attacks of a fungus forming the brown spots on the husk 
referred to in Bulletin No. 6, p. 105, and not to imperfect ferti- 
lization as I suggested. This fungus belongs to the M elan- 
coniece Phragmosporce and he explains its action in this manner. 
The fungus causes the premature dehiscence of the fruit because 
it uses itself a part of the nutritive matters which ought to serve 
for the nourishment of the pericarp. The alimentation being 
defective, the valves cannot grow as fast as usual. The tension 
between the seed and husk increases more rapidly in the diseased 
fruit than in the sound one, and causes the splitting of the husk 
prematurely. This being so, planters will find it necessary to 
pay some attention to the spotting of the husk, and to destroy 
infected fruits as speedily as possible. 
Termes Grestroi, 
Note. — Since writing the paragraph on this destructive Ter- 
mite, I have had a large tree six inches through attacked by this 
pest. The tree was a marking-nut, Semecarpus Anacardium. It 
was treated by syringing with J eyes’ fluid, without removing 
the crust of earth with which the termites had encrusted the 
