59 
Malaya on Bud-rot of Coco-nuts. 
A characteristic feature in Malaya, in advanced cases of Bud-rot, is 
an obvious pinkish discoloration, due probably to the presence of the red 
bacterium in considerable quantity. This organism grows well on meat- 
extract agar ; the Sarcinomyces (?) develops well on green-pea agar ; 
the lemon-coloured bacterium was difficult to grow, the best results being 
obtained on potato-mush agar. 
Laboratory Tests. 
After Professor Reinking’s visit the senior author carried out various 
parallel tests on Coco-nut bud-tissue with the above-mentioned bacteria 
and Phytophthora faberi (Maubl.) isolated from ‘ Black Stripe ’ disease of 
rubber bark. For this purpose Coco-nut cabbage tissue was obtained and 
inoculated with the various organisms. These test pieces were placed 
under bell-jars and similar inoculated pieces were kept as controls. The 
results were extremely variable, as might be expected, but these tests 
undoubtedly showed that the bud-tissue was a highly favourable medium 
for all the organisms concerned. The control test pieces remained sound 
for several days after the inoculated ones were rotten. 
The behaviour of these organisms led to the consideration of the 
experimental proof of the cause of Bud-rot. Obviously, the cabbage 
being formed of tissue containing abundant nutritive material, there would 
be some danger in basing conclusions on results obtained by direct wounding 
of the bud-tissue, no matter how small the puncture made. A fair simile 
would be the difference between inoculating any artificial culture medium 
with inoculum from a culture, and inserting a sterile needle in a tube of the 
same medium. Analysing Reinking’s (7) latest results on this basis 
we find : 
Inoculated. Controls. 
+ — + 
Young trees, (i) Stab in damp chambers 
,, (2) Stab outside in shade 
,, (3) Uninjured in shade 
Old trees. (4) Stab (three mature trees outside, 
one not examined) 
These results were obtained by using Phytophthora faberi isolated 
from Cacao pod-rot. Later he isolated Phytophthora faberi from the woody 
tissue below the growing-point of a Coco-nut palm showing Bud-rot. With 
this fungus thirteen inoculations were made in seedling Coco-nuts by stabs— 
all were successful. Only two controls were kept which remained healthy. 
On the above reasoning and analysis the present writers were of the 
opinion that more work was necessary before accepting Reinking’s con- 
clusion in toto , i. e. ‘ From these researches it can be stated with certainty 
that Phytophthora faberi (Maubl.) causes Coco-nut Bud-rot; bacteria are 
