407 
Sugar-Cane in the West Indies. 
for a year or two during which the fungus is destroyed. After- 
wards, the water is run off, the soil allowed to dry, and a new 
crop of canes raised. The soil on this estate is a heavy clay, 
and in spite of all precautions the fungus makes its appearance 
in the fields after they have been in canes for four or five 
years. Where this method is impracticable, rotation crops 
would serve the same purpose. 
The occurrence of rhizomorphs in connexion with this 
fungus suggests the advisability of isolating diseased areas 
by a trench from the rest of the canes, as the fungus may 
travel underground. 
In badly diseased fields in Barbados, it is not uncommon 
to see healthy clumps of canes growing vigorously. Probably 
if these were continually selected for propagation, more re- 
sistant strains than those in use at present might be obtained. 
At the present time this disease is by far the most im- 
portant of the cane pests in Barbados. It also occurs in 
Antigua and Surinam. In addition to the losses sustained 
thereby, large sums of money are annually spent on artificial 
manures for these diseased canes which can obviously have 
no effect. As time goes on and the significance of the 
diseases of the cane is realized, reforms will no doubt be 
made in the local practice. Successful economic experiments 
on the subject, on a sufficient scale to satisfy the planter, would 
doubtless greatly hasten these reforms. 
In conclusion, I wish to express my indebtedness to 
Mrs. W. G. Freeman for kindly preparing the drawings of 
Figs, i, 2, 7> 8, 9, and 14 which illustrate this paper. 
IV. Summary of Conclusions. 
1. The Melanconium found on diseased sugar-canes in the 
West Indies is a saprophyte and is not the cause of the ‘ rind ’ 
disease. The whole of the evidence obtained in these ex- 
periments points to this fungus being quite distinct from 
Thielaviopsis ethaceticus , Went. 
