284 
insect or fungal origin. The importance of this branch of the 
routine of an estate cannot be too often or too forcibly preached. 
My experience of nearly ten years’ investigation of and fighting 
with diseases of cultivated plants in the tropics leads me to the 
belief that the policy of waiting to shut the stable door until the 
horse has gone is still not unusual even with the most capable 
and practical planter. 
Pests, both fungal and insect, must come in every cultivation, 
and no plant, however vigorous or with the most perfect 
conditions for its gro\Vth, can be .considered as not liable to 
contract some disease. These occasional deaths of plants may, 
if unattended to, eventually cause most serious loss. 
e 
The scientific officers of the department can be of much help 
to agriculture in the direction of investigation of diseases in 
cultivated plants with a view to their prevention and cure. 
Unfortunately the importance of the plant doctor is not yet 
recognised as full) 7 as that of the medical man or veterinary 
surgeon. This is to a great extent because the fact is not realised 
that all lack of health or vigour is due in plants, just as in man, 
to specific causes either of environment or to the attacks of 
insects, fungi or bacteria. The past history of plant doctoring 
is not entirely a succession of triumphs over disease, but it com- 
pares very favourably with the results obtained in human 
medicine, and should by this time have secured the confidence of 
the planter, farmer and gardener. 
In order that the technical knowledge of the officials may be 
most utilised it is important that early information as to the 
outbreak of any pest is sent to the department, and specimens 
of all stages of the disease, with as much information as the 
Superintendent can give as to the first signs, the conditions of 
the field, if well drained or with water very near the surface, the 
age of the trees attacked, whether the disease was noticed first in 
one place or at different centres, how quickly it has spread, and 
all other observations which have been made. A full letter, even 
though it contains some things that may seen trivial and of little 
use, is of much greater help than the sending of a short note 
with a single leaf and the request “ I am sending you a specimen 
of disease I have noticed on my rubber, will you let me know if 
it is likely to be serious and what measures I should take to 
prevent its spreadings” 
Distance of Trees in Planting. 
Planters have begun to see the value of giving their trees 
plenty of room, and the argument that to plant more trees than 
is intended to permanently keep has been seen to be both 
fallacious and dangerous. Fallacious, because with prices at 5s. 
