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soecimens examined were found to be remarkably healthy. The few 
unhealthy specimens were attacked by soft rot or were bru.sed, 
while not a single instance of black heart was found. 
FRUIT Rot: To return to the subject of diseases found m 
Hawaii the fruit rot or soft rot is undoubtedly the most important 
according to the account of them given by L. D. Larsen in t he Bulled 
referred to above. This disease attacks ripe pine-apples m the field, 
and occurs at the cannery to some extent, but is most destructive on 
crated fruits during shipment. Such fruits, as well as those in store- 
houses are often attacked when still quite green. In the held, direct 
Mecton usually commences at the base of the fruit. Here a moist 
chamber is formed between the bracts which occur on the stem, and 
the base of the pine-apple; the moisture enables the spores of the 
fungus Thielaviopsis paradoxa to germinate, and the existence o e 
chamber prevents them from being killed by the sun. Inlection 1 
the field may also occur on other parts .of the fruit where there 
a wounded surface. On crated fruit during shipment, rot com- 
mences at the top or on the sides, almost as frequently as at the 
base Here again, the presence of wounds favours the entry of the 
fimgus but, under the dark, moist conditions that prevail in this 
case the fungus is able to penetrate the fruit, directly. This it does 
especially at points in the cracks between the individual frmtlets of 
which the pine-apple is composed. The dry conditions and the 
destructive effect of sunlight on the spores of the fungus prevent 
direct penetration of the fruit in the field except, as already stated, 
at the base. 
The symptoms of this disease are as follows. The affected tissue 
has a water-soaked appearance, is of a slightly darker shade of 
vellow than the normal, and has a characteristic odour. It is very 
soft even in the early stages of decay, and, as the disease progresses, 
becomes so disintegrated as to yield to the slightest pressure. The 
rot spreads very rapidly, and is found to destroy half the fruit in 
four days from the date of inoculation. On cutting open a diseased 
fruit and exposing the infected tissues to the air, an immense number 
of black macroconidia of Thielaviopsis is formed, giving all the por- 
tion attacked a black appearance. These symptoms agree very closely 
with those of the disease described by Howard on packed pmes m 
Antigua which was attributed by him to the macro- and micro- 
conidial' stages of Trichosphaeria sacchari, which was then regarded 
as almost certainly identical with Thielaviopsis paradoxa . This 
fungus was found in at least one instance on ripe pine-apples from 
the same island, in the examination carried out during last season, 
and refered to above; the symptoms of the rot produced was similar 
to those observed in Hawaii. 
The wounds which enable the fungus to gain an entry, especially 
in the field may be due to sun scald, or damage by animals, or by 
implements during field operations. One considerable source of 
injury is that inflicted by insects, of which the most important m 
