tree will go on as usual. The rubber tree, gentlemen, has a 
wonderful power of growing and producing new tissues. Too much 
importance cannot be attached to this gang inspection. When- 
ever the bark of the tree is rough, and has a larger corky layer 
than the average bark I find that where you scrape the bark there 
is no disadvantage to the living tissues of the tree and it seems 
probable that they are even stimulated by this treatment and the 
amount of latex increased. With regard to the production of an 
abnormal or corky bark it would be well to groom it and see 
whether there is any unhealthy tissue right behind. There is one 
thing that l ought to have touched on, viz., with regard to the 
scare raised by people which your Chairman has referred to ; and 
in this connection some people seemed to be scared on observing 
rubber trees in some places dropping their leaves. 
This dropping of leaves and even branches I think is due to 
climatic or unforeseen reasons. During the short time 1 was in this 
district 1 saw trees which had previously dropped their leaves and 
had dead branches on them recovering, producing buds, and push- 
ing on. 1 am quite certain that this nectria fungus was not res- 
ponsible for the abnormal dropping of leaf and drying of certain 
branches. This is a question which l should wish to have gone 
into rather more fully, but you will understand that, when one lias 
something in hand to deal with, it is better to devote one’s atten- 
tion solely to the point in question. Therefore I have not very 
closely studied this question to ascertain the exact cause for this 
dropping of the leaves. I have not found that any typically- 
diseased trees. had dropped their leaves nor had they dead branches. 
So we may take it that there is no connection between nectria in 
rubber and any abnormal dropping of leaves, or dying back of 
branches, which are probably due to an abnormal season or to a 
tree being in an unsuitable place, or, through some accidental rea- 
son, not being able to do so well as its neighbours. 
At the conclusion of the address Mr. CarrUTHERS, in reply to 
questions Irom the meeting, stated that he did not consider there 
was anything very serious in canker disease, and although there 
was no reason to suppose the fungus would not attack nursery 
plants it was very possible that the smooth bark of the young plant 
would not induce the spores to settle on it, whereas with a wound 
on a tree it was possible that the disease would get hold by the 
spores settling on the wound. Canker in nursery plants would 
soon show itself b} r killing the plants: he himself however had only 
seen the fungus on trees about two years old. He considered that 
seed from very young trees was quiie as capable of producing 
healthy plants that would resist pest attacks as seed from mature 
trees. 
Canker in a tree did not affect the seeds. The fruit produced 
on the living portions of a cankered tree would be absolutely good 
for planting purposes. It was the same with the root, nectria on 
the bark did not affect it. Even when the bark low down was 
