Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-06-20

disease is said by Prot. Saenz to
spread rapidly.
Now in view of Prof. Saenz'
statements as to the disease being
favored by rainy weather and by
temperatures below 750 F there is
grave danger of the disease spread
ing and doing damage if introduced
into the islands, while from
ForSyth's and Dieseldorff'S state
mentS it appears that the disease
exists in at least two regions of
Guatemala.
The safest course would be to
prohibit the importation into Hawaii
of all seeds or young plants from
South, or Central America or
Mexico. Should this be impracti-
cable it would be useful to have a
rigid examination of all plants or
seeds imported, by an expert who
would have power to destroy any
diseased plants or seeds. At the
same time it would be well to guard
against the introduction of the other
coffee leaf-disease called Hemileia
UaStatrfx, the fungus which has
brought about the almost total
destruction or abandonment of the
coffee plantations of Ceylon, caus-
ing the production to decline from
100000 cwt. eighteen to twenty
years ago to $4,000 cwt. in 1896,
and that of Southern India to de-
cline from $50, 900 cwt. to 100000
cwt. This disease, the worst enemy
of coffee culture known, very
difficult and in many cases impossi-
bic to iremedy, exists in many
places in Southern Asia, in Ceylon,
in Sumatra, in Java, in the FIJI
Islands, in the islands of Reunion
and in East Africa. All importation
from these points of plants or seeds
of coffee or of other plants of related
genera, particularly the Cape
JaSSamines, or Cardinals and
Nangnerias, is in the highest degree
dangerous and should be prohibited.
A disease caused by nematode
worm (Meloidogyne exigna GoldD
causes very great damage to the
coffee in Brazil, and might well be
guarded against also.
Because of the Hemileia disease
Mr.. J. Ferguson, Editor of the
Tropical Agriculturist and Ceylon
Observer, says: at will be long
time, however, before such enter
prise, or any other enterprise at
present within British territory, can
seriously affect the coffee market;
and see no early prospect, in any
other quarter of an over-production
of coffee"
At that time Mr.. Ferguson prob
ably had no cognizance of the
serious diseases above described
which threaten the coffee industry
of Central America and Mexico;
indeed he cites these very countries
as having from their constantly in
creaSing production kept the mar
kets supplied while the production
was declining in the East Indies.
1t is then probable that the coffee
industry of Hawaii will have a great
development in the future, provided
these almost irremediable diseases
and pests are prevented from reach
ing the islands.
January %, 1898. 7'
Cd Cook, M. c. The Coffee
Disease in South America. In
Journal of the Linnean Society,
botany. Vol. AVlll., 1861, PIP.
46I-4o7. Pl. 8.
(2) Saenz, Nicolas. Memoria
sobre el cultivo del Cafeto. Bogata,
1892, p. 81.
CD Tonduz, Adolfo. lnforme
sobre la enfermidad del Cafeto.
Institute Fisico-geografico-National
Servicio Botanico, 1893, San Jose
de Costa Rica, c. A. p. 28 with
dried specimens of diseased leaves.
CD Forsyth, w. j. King Coffee.
A new Coffee Leaf Disease devel-
oped in Soconusco Chiapas, Mexico,
in New Iberia Enterprise, Nov. FL,
1896, reprinted in the Tropical
A hrr;-,,It,,r;ct Vol WI EaL