Abstract
THERE are several reasons for welcoming the first two of the manuals on the diseases of the major crops of the British Colonies, the need for a series of which was so strongly voiced at the Imperial Mycological Conference in 1929. They are from the West Indies, among the oldest of the Colonies and the most tried by the ravages of plant diseases. They have been written by members of the professorial and research staff of the Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture in Trinidad, where most scientific officers of colonial agricultural departments now complete their training, and are a testimony to the activity of that centre. They reflect the modern approach to phytopathology as concerned with safeguarding the health of the crop in its widest aspects, of which parasitic attack is but one. They are attractively written and produced, well illustrated, and with full and up-to-date bibliographies. In each case the important crop covered (Trinidad has 200,000 acres under cacao, and bananas are the mainstay of the export trade of Jamaica) is suffering from an epidemic disease which is causing much alarm.
(1) The Diseases and Curing of Cacao
By Prof. H. R. Briton-Jones. Pp. x + 161. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1934.) 10s. net.
(2) Diseases of the Banana and of the Manila Hemp Plant
By Dr. C. W. Wardlaw. Pp. xii + 615. (London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd., 1935.) 30s. net.
Enjoying our latest content?
Log in or create an account to continue
- Access the most recent journalism from Nature's award-winning team
- Explore the latest features & opinion covering groundbreaking research
or
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
BUTLER, E. Tropical Plant Diseases. Nature 136, 5–6 (1935). https://doi.org/10.1038/136005a0
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/136005a0
