healthy discussion which will lead to the elucidation of a- 
subject which there is no gainsaying is of great import- 
ance to the planting industry. 
DISEASED ROOTS OF PARA RUBBER TREES 
FROM SINGAPORE. 
During my recent visit to Selangor I was shewn round one of 
the leading Coffee and Para Rubber Estates, and 1 admired as no 
one could help admiring the splendid Coffee and Rubber trees, 
and the admirable way the estate was evidently managed. The 
one drawback, however, was the white ant pest, and it was truly 
grievous to see tine four year old Para Rubber trees killed by their 
attacks. At my request the manage/ was good enough to have 
several trees that were attacked pulled up. So that we could 
examine the roots. My object in doing so was twofold, first I 
wanted to see the kind of termite, but the chief reason was to look 
out for fungus, for I suspected that white ants were not atone the 
cause, nor was I wrong in my surmise for I succeeded in finding a 
fungus as I had suspected. Now I am aware I am on debateable 
ground, I mean as to whether the particular tree I examined which 
had fungus on its roots, was killed by that fungus, or by white ants 
or by both, and I shall be glad if it provokes discussion and cause 
planters to observe carefully and give their opinion in the Bulletin. 
My own theory is that in this particular instance the fungus was 
the cause. At any rate there can be no doubt of the deadly nature 
of the fungus which proved to be a species of Helicobasidium 
probably H. mompa. as determined by Mr. Massee of Kew, who 
writes as follows : — 
The roots are attacked by a fungus belonging to the genus 
Helicobasidium, which appears to be very closely allied to, if not 
identical with H. mompa , a fungus very destructive to the mulberry 
tree in Japan. The specimens sent are sterile, hence the species 
cannot be determined with certainty. 
The fungus travels from one tree to another by means of cordlike 
mycelium spreading in the soil. 
The various methods for dealing with root-parasites of fungus 
origin are given in ff Kew Bulletin ” 1896, p. i. 
Preventive Measures. 
Owing to the habit of the fungus in penetrating and spreading 
in the living tissues of the root of its victim, cure is practically out- 
side the question when a plant is once permeated with mycelium ; 
and keeping in view the varied modes of reproduction for facilitat- 
ing the rapid spread of the disease, no efforts should be spared in 
the way of preventing such spreading, when the presence of the 
fungus is once detected. 
Undoubtedly the most frequent and rapid mode of spreading is 
by means of the mycelium travelling in the soil, and a good method 
of isolating diseased patches is to cut a narrow trench, from nine 
inches to a foot deep round such, care being taken to throw the 
