The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-04-08
INTRODUCTION.

| n ko)OO lIN.
Two plant diseases present i'll these
Islands, one infesting sugar-cane, the
other coffee. are widely distributed
wherever these plants are grown and
deserve attention i'll the cultivation OF
these crops. Their presence need cause
no alarm to the producers of eithci
sugar or coffee since both diseases have
been well worked out and respond &c
active measures OF control as outlined
below.
THE PINEAPPLE DISEASE OF
SUGAR CANE.
An outbreak OF disease of sugar
cane on one of the windward planta-
tions OF Hawaii was reported to this
station in November. 1903. The Ento-
mologist Mr.. D. L. Van Dine, visited
the locality and made an examination.
ferred to DR.. Albert f. Woods, Plant
Patholopist and Physiologist of the U.
5. Department OF Agriculture at Wash
ington, ID. C., who reported the cane
to be infested with a fungus, Thielaviop-
sis ethaceticus Went, which has caused
more or less serious losses in the cane
fields of Java, the West Indies and other
cane-sugar producing countries.
Fungus is the name applied by bota-
nists to certain lower orders of plants
Gotten microscopic and invisible to the
naked eye), which derive their food
either from dead or decaying organic
matter or by parasitism upon other
plants or animals. Fungi do not contain
chlorophyl, the green coloring matter in
the leaves of Towering plants and ferns.
Common examples of fungi are toad
stools, moulds, potato blight, etc
This cane-disease has been reported
from nearly every cane growing coun-
try i'll the world. The literature of
plant diseases contains abundant refer
ences to it. 1t exists in number of
forms which have been described under
different names, according to whether
its appearance has been noted on differ
ent parts OF the cane plant. In its most
serious form this fungus attacks the
young seed cane or so Injuries the eye
itself that the cane fails to germinate
1t has been noted in other countries
that serious outbreaks almost invariably
follow the work OF some insect pest,
either the cane borer or some external
feeder like the leaf-hopper
The fungus is truly parasitic The
fine (microscopic) white threads which
constitute the vegetative stage of the
fungus, as soon as they have gained en-
trance into the tissues of the cane
through any artificial wound or pune
ture of the epidermis such as that made
by leaf-hopper or cane borer, branch
and increase i'll number until the whole
interior of the cane stalk is filed with
the mass.
The affected parts, especially the
leaves, leaf-sheaths and younger and
more tender portions of the cane itself
show bright reddish discoloration ex-
ternally, and if the stalk is cut across
or split lengthways, reddish streaks all
through the interior tissues. When
young plant cane is infected the leaves
become light yellowish green and the
plant soon dies. If infected seed is
planted the eyes often fail to grow so
that the field must be entirely replanted
Cane seed the vitality of which has been
affected by this fungus after planting,
will be found upon examination to be
covered with mass of fine white
threads the mycelium or vegetative
stage OF the fungus. while the rind of
the cane is covered with little raised
blisters. These small pustules, plainly
visible to the naked eye are character
istic OF this disease
Older cane when seriously attacked
presents a peculiar stunted appearance,
a sudden decrease in the thickness and
length of the joints. dying of the leaves
and finally, if the fungus gains the up
per hand the whole plant is killed into
the ground Such killing OF the cane
by this fungus was observed during
February, 1904, in fields where the vigor
of the cane had been seriously impaired
by the leaf-hopper The fruiting stage
of the fungus appears on the rnd of the
dead cane-stalks in the same form as
on seed cane, as minute pustules or bis
tiers fom the middle of which exudes
black sooty mass consisting of millions
of very minute oblong spores,-the
seeds" OF the fungus, ready to be
blown about by the wind or carried to
other cane plants on the bodies of in
sects.
This disease has been known as
Pineapple disease the name being ap-
piled because OF the pineapple odor of
freshly cut stalks of cane infected with
the fungus, This odor is really due to
the formation of acetic ether by the
fungus from the saccharine substances
within the cane stalk
In some localities in Hawaii, this
disease has been termed "Eleau" but in
the opinion OF the writer that name
more properly applies to a fungus disease
which causes a cumming up of the leaf
sheath, so that when the cane is stripped
the iibrcs OF the sheath remain adherent
TO the cane,
II has been noted IN both the West
Indies and Java that where there Is any
amount OF this disease
present in the fields that are being har-
vested there Is o marked rclardalion oi
of the Juice
For the protection of eaue ssed against
this fungus il has heen recommended in
Java lhli lhe rul ends oi lhe seed he !
r0alrd with iar before planting How
am investigated methods M prevention
and found lhal hrittr results Nprc uh |
tanned hy llpnWH chs .e1 m iHlwnN ,
mhlulp nr W q combination Nf bon
I..IE UII. .IIIF. IuI IlT lInu hE ala u..