57 
Malaya on Bud-rot of Coco-nuts. 
which up till then had not been mentioned by West Indian observers. 
Reinking (7) says : ‘ The first symptom is a withering of the youngest 
unfolded leaf, followed by the leaf turning brown. Gradually the next 
younger leaves wither and turn brown, until the entire central group is 
affected. At this stage the central leaves may be easily pulled out. 
Frequently in advanced cases, they fall over.’ Ashby (1) says: ‘The 
existence of the disease is indicated by the pale colour, bending over, 
browning, and breaking down of the heart leaf.’ 
The quotations from the numerous investigators in both hemispheres 
are in agreement as to the general symptoms of Bud-rot in Coco-nuts. 
Investigators in the West Indies, previous to Johnstone, confused other 
symptoms with those of Bud-rot ; the commonest symptom mistakenly 
associated with Bud-rot being the ‘ red-ring ’ in the stem, which has since 
been proved by Nowell (5) to be caused by a nematode attack. Therefore 
we have a definite guiding line as to the interpretation of any experimental 
inoculation results : ‘ The initial browning and death of the heart leaves, 
which may fall over or can easily be pulled out ; if the bud-tissue is now 
examined it will presumably show the rot which typifies the disease.’ It 
may be noted here that Johnstone (4) appears to be the only investigator 
who stresses the rotting of the central tissues. Ashby (1) also remarks that 
trees successfully inoculated with Phytophthora palmivora (Butler), i. e. 
‘ showing rows of depressed spots in the central leaves ’, do not necessarily 
die at the heart. 
Observations in the Federated Malay States. 
Dating from the time of Professor Reinking’s visit to the Federated 
Malay States, the senior author has been trying to obtain field information 
on Bud-rot of Coco-nuts, intending to prosecute an intensive investigation 
into the cause of the disease. A Phytophthora disease, causing falling of 
nuts, has been noted in Ceylon by Petch ( 6 ), but no evidence of connexion 
with Bud-rot is offered. It is interesting to note that Johnstone (4) 
mentions, as one of the incipient signs of Bud-rot, the falling of the 
immature nuts. This feature has been commonly met with in Malaya 
since 1914 , but it can be categorically stated that, in this country, the 
falling of immature nuts has little or no connexion with Bud-rot of 
Coco-nuts. Ashby (1) describes a form of Bud-rot, the earliest symptom 
of which is usually the dropping of young nuts from one or more spikes, 
which blacken and wither up. 
This disease has never assumed epidemic form except in one small 
instance, to be detailed below, in Malayan plantations. Most Coco-nut 
estates find a few cases, usually widely separated, at various periods of the 
year. Beyond cutting the diseased palms and burning them, nothing is 
done, and from year to year there has been no cause for uneasiness with 
