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“ A brown liquid oozes out through the cracks in the cortex and 
forms a rusty patch which usually turns brown afterwards. On 
cutting into this patch, the internal tissues are found to be discoloured 
and decaying; they are brownish and finally turn black. If the 
diseased area is cut in wet weather, the liquids sometimes squirts out ; 
in fact, it may in some stages be collected in a glass by simply 
pressing on the diseased patch. After some time the black patches 
appear on the trunk, usually on the same side. When this happens, 
it will generally be found that this is not a new infection, but the 
disease has worked up or down inside the stem, and the liquid has 
found a new outlet. ... It is important to note that there is no 
sign of the disease until the liquid oozes out, and when this occurs 
the internal tissue is already decayed to some extent.” 
On one estate in Perak I have made observations on palms 
affected by tlie similar rusty and finally black patches from which 
a brown liquid oozes. In every way the external and internal 
appearances correspond with Fetch’s description but I have never 
been able to isolate the fungus Theilaviopsis ethacetica from the 
affected tissues. 
It is quite possible that this effect is produced by the same 
cause as in Ceylon but of course no definite statement as regards the 
disease can be made until the fungus is isolated from diseased tissue 
and infections are made from the cultures. 
By cutting away the decayed or diseased parts of the stem and 
covering the wound with a very liberal coating of tar it is possible 
to prevent the patch from enlarging or spreading up eft* down the 
tree to other parts. Petcli recommended that after cutting out the 
diseased tissue the wound should be burnt with a torch and then 
covered with hot coal tar. All diseased parts cut away are burnt, 
and should it not be possible to apply this local treatment in 
advanced cases the whole palm should be cut down and burnt. 
Pestalozzia palmarum . — This fungus is the cause of a leaf 
disease in this country as apparently in most parts of the tropics. 
Bernard found this fungus to be the cause of a destructive 
epidemic in the Banjorwangi Presidency, Java, in 1905-6. 
In this country as far as my experience goes the disease is only 
found among young plants either in nurseries or in plantations after 
planting out. The fungus is extremely common as a saprophyte on 
dead leaves and the withering lower leaves of healthy palms. 
In the first stages little whitish transparent spots appear on the 
leaves. The spots increase in size and coalesce, forming irregular 
areas of dead tissue on the leaves. A brown ring surrounds each 
area immediately outside which the tissue has a pale green or 
yellowish colour indicating where the fungus is growing into the 
healthy part of the leaf. The tips of leaflets and edges become 
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