69 
Malaya on Bud-rot of Coco-nuts. 
is reduced, it forms a highly nutritive medium suitable for the rapid develop- 
ment of any of a large variety of possio e invading organisms. In the case 
of epidemic or infective Bud-rot, the issue is narrowed down to the responsi- 
bility of a transferable parasite ; but there is no ground for assuming that 
the parasite concerned in producing a condition of such a general nature 
is necessarily or even probably the same in different situations. J. R. John- 
stone, now confirmed to some extent by Reinking, has put forward evidence 
to show that Bacillus coli may be effective in setting up Coco-nut Bud-rot. 
The widely prevalent and destructive Bud-rot of palms in Southern India 
has long been known to be due to Phytophthora palmivora ( Pythium 
palmivorum ), and the same fungus has recently been found by S. F. Ashby 
in connexion with Coco-nut Bud-rot in Jamaica.’ 
This statement from the West Indies is of considerable importance in 
view of the facts put forward in this paper. The views of the present 
writers are faithfully stated in the above quotation, although not agreeing 
that Bud-rot of palms in India has been proved to be due to anything. 
However, Phytophthora palmivora (Butler) undoubtedly has been proved 
to be an obligate parasite on Palmyra Palm in India, and on Coco-nut Palm 
in both the West Indies and India. Under suitable conditions for growth 
and spread we might be justified in assuming that this fungus would be 
the deciding factor in any epidemic, though this must be proved by 
inoculations on mature trees before final conclusions can be stated. 
We must express our deep indebtedness to Dr. Fletcher, Bacteriologist 
to the Medical Research Institute, for his kindness in examining the 
bacterial cultures used by us in our inoculation experiments. 
References. 
1. Ashby, F. S. : Notes on two Diseases of Coco-nut Palm in Jamaica caused by Fungi of the Genus 
Phytophthora. West Indian Bulletin, vol. xviii, Nos. I and 2, 1920. 
2. Butler, J. E. : Some Diseases of Palm. Agricultural Journal of India, vol. i, pt. 4, October 6, . 
1906, and Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture of India, vol. i, No. 5, February, 1 907. 
3 . Coleman, C. Leslie: Diseases of the Areca Palm. Annales Mycologici, 1910. 
4. Johnstone, R. John : The History and Cause of the Coco-nut Bud-rot. Bureau of Plant 
Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, No. 228. 
5 . Nowell, W. : The Red-ring Disease of Coco-nut Palms. West Indian Bulletin, vol. xvii, No. 4. 
6. Petch, T. : Nut Fall and Leaf Droop of Coco-nuts. Leaflet No. 6, Department of Agriculture, 
Ceylon, and (same title) Tropical Agriculturist, vol. xlix, No. 6, Dec., 1917. 
7. Reinking, A. Otto : Coco-nut Bud-rot in the Philippines. Philippine Journal of Science, 
vol. xiv, No. 1, January, 1919. 
8. Shaw, F. J. F., and Sundaraman, S. : The Bud-rot of Coco-nut Palms in Malabar. Annales 
Mycologici, vol. xii, No. 3, 1914, arid Agricultural Journal of India, vol. ix, pt. 2, 1914. 
