Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1912-12-04
Continued from Pace y

They might have noticed, DR. Lyon
said in opening. the dead patches in
the Tantafus forest. These trees
/ are dead from the recent drought, "
! they might have said on first sight.
! But there was no drought in Manoa.
, where irrigated trees on the Long es-
tate were also dying. Besides the
eucalyptus, the black waffle and ce-
dar trees on Tantalus were dying. As
TO the black waffle, old age might &C
count for it. Cockroaches attacking
the bark and twigs OF some of the
trees had killed them. A great many
young trees at the experiment sta
ton had died from this cause.
The eucalyptus trees on Tantalus
were not dying from either of these
GAUGES, but from a fungus and more
OF the eucalyptus globulus than the
eucalyptus robusta were being at
tackled. AS the robusta, or swamp
gum, fayors moist land this fact indi-
Gates that another cause than drought
is the cause. The disease usually be-
gins at the notwithstanding
isolated brances, and sometimes one
side of a tree will be infected and
not the other. DR.. Lyon showed a
withered branch from a Manoa tree.
If the disease starts at the top it.
will work it's way down until it enters
the trunk. ..... .- =. .--.f.I
Tells of Proofs.
In most of the cases they had been
able to find the fungus. After the
trees are dead the fungus disappears
1t dies out Cultures made of the
fungus reproduced the disease in
healthy growths. A section of trunk
was exhibited, showing the develop
ment of the fungus after the wood
had been immersed a short time I'M
water Darkening of the wood showed
the penetration of the fungus 1t did
not limit itself to the sapwood but
penetrated TO the heartwood. 1t
went only where there was fresh
wood to attack.
They had found the fungus very
virulent in its attacks on the eucalypt-
Us, especially the young trees. BY ey-
hibits DIR. Lyons chowed the difference
Letween tie colors of leav segilled by
drying and killed by the fungus. Tne
progress of the fungus could be traced
farther in the pith than in the bark.
IT blackens the pith, which - 9uld be
of a light color. There was pecu-
lial development in planted eucalypt-
Us forests. As the trees die the fun
gus attacks them from the ground.
First the small roots aid then the
large ones are infested, and then the
disease. works up through the trunk. |
Z be trees die because the roots are
destroyed
1t was in 1908 that the disease was |
discovered and the trees have been
ying ever since. Drought has some
thing to do with the process, as a dry |
spell viii cause the quick deoth of |
ir fected trees. Moist weather enables |
the foliage to perform its function for
some time after the doom of the tree |
is sealed Drought will therefore
make a great many trees die at one
time.
Alligator pears are attacked by this
fungus, DIR. Lyon showing {. sample in
a can. In ten days the fungus nad |
killed the Seeding. They had not
found tie alligator pears on the other
islands diseased In the specimen
shown the inoculated leaf had drop
Led on in two days, and this showed
how the alligator pear to some ex-
tent protected itself-dropping its
leaves before the fungus entered the
trunk
nFolly To Go on Planting"
DR.. Lyon could not say it would be
folly to go on planting eucalyptus
trees. If they we're going to plant
them in large groves, they would have
10 pay more attention to them. There
were other trees that would serve