, 1894-05-23
REPORT on DISEASES AFFECTING TIE
SUGAR-CANE IN BARBADOS.
(By c. A. Bar6er)

Hon Colonial Secretary,

JtARCl'CiNg NHN ''N ~
short report Oh my recent visit To Barbados.
/ STA. "a IN The island fir 4 fortnight on my
lotluey I,on England in orceg TO study the
fIuaus pests attacking the cal,S here.
III, attention was fist directed to the sub
iect Wv a short notice in the Daily Nems
stating that the canes in Barbados were
suffering from a root disease, and that great
loss was expected on most Of the estates
during the present season. AS the wording
Of the paragraph suggested that the disease
was a different one from that already report
ed ON by Mr.. Massee Of Kew, ! suggested that
it MICH be IN The interests Of the LeeWard
Islands for me to call at Barbados on my way
out. This offer was accepted by the Secreta-
Nv Of State for the Colonies and according
ly at the suggestion Of the Director Of Kew
Gardens, | proceeded to study the question
with Mr.. Massee, the specialist engaged
upon the diseases referred to. I found Mr..
Massee preparing his paper ON the fungus
already known for an eaIly number Of the
Annals Of Botany, and was able to examine
his drawings and microscopic slides.
In order to save unnecessary correspon-
dence, was commissioned to be the bearer Of
what information ! could gather to the scien-
lists engaged in the examination Of the fun
gus in Barbados and Mr.. MasSee very kind
ly gave me a set of his 81 tdes illustrating tile
different phases in the life history Of The
fungus. FROM the mode Of its appearance,
ii is usually known in Barbad) as the "Iiud-
fungus" Immediately before | left England
received Information that Mr.. Bowel, the
Superintendent Of Dodd's EN| Experimental Sta
fjon. had succeeded in sendtug q case OF
eighteen diseased canes to Kew, and that tire
fungus referred to by the Ddlg NerS was a
new and alarming root disease These |
had not the opportunity Of seeing, as was
confined to he houseby an attack ofinduenzl.
Mr.. Massee appears to have had small diff
Guilty in determining that the root-fungua
is identical with one described by DR., Won't
0f Java in q paper under the title "Het
Rood Snot' Just published A preliminary
report was accordingly issued from Kew ON
the subject. and forwarded to Barbados. This
has been printed in the Government Gazette
of Barbados, aud l append d copy.
NY stay in Barbados lasted for a fortnight,
commencing on Eovr. l9. During that time
I received all assistance from the Government
of the island. My time was about eqnally
divided between observing the cane in the
field and cutting them up for microscopic
examination in the Laboratory. In studying
the disease in the the field, | had the able
assistance eff my host the Hon. I'll. Clarke, Of
Coverly Estate,in Christ Church. In company
with Nj. Clark | tlaversed a great portion
of the southern and windward parts Of Barba-
dos and made exhaustive studies Of some fields
There are two Government biological Iabo-
ratOries in Barbados. ! examined the canes
and made microscopic sections Of their tissues
ia the new biological wing Of the Government
Laboratory in Bridgetown. IN this work [
was assisted by Professor Albuquerque, the
island chemist, who is busIly d%evoting himself
to the study Of fungous pests Of the canes.
l paid three or four visits to Dodds' Expert
mental Station, and with Mr.. Bowel rode
through the trial plots. In the small biolo-
gical laboratory attached to the station |
examined a number Of canes with Mr.. Bowel,
who is likewise devoting much attention to
these sugar-canes pests.
MY time was thus too fully occupied with
the necessary laboratory work to enable me
to examine the canes on more than five es-
tates, much as | would have liked to accept
invitations to visit others. left Barbados'on
December4th and reached Antigua on the 9th.
The main cause Of injury in the canefelds
of Barbados is the rind Jungus. This is well
distributed over the island. The first notice
I have seen of its presence is in a letter
written by Mr.. Hart, the Government Botan-
list of Trinidad, early in 1892. The fact that
q pest of this character should have remain-
ed SO long unsupported is extraordinary, an
less, like many other diseases. its develop