Ferdinand von Mueller

1

Letter not found. For the text given here, see B89.12.05. The text was published under the heading, 'To the Editor of the Fiji Times' and was introduced by the following letter: 'SIR, – The enclosed was handed me some time ago by Mr. Kopsen, as it may interest banana planters I send it to you for publication. You might call the attention of the gentleman from Kew to its subject matter. – I am, &c., H. L. Tripp.'

The 'gentleman from Kew' was probably Daniel Yeoward, who arrived in Fiji shortly before this date.

SIR. —

In reply to your letter of the 25th Nov.,

2

Letter not found.

I have the honor to inform you, that as in the Victorian clime we cannot grow bananas remuneratively, no original observations on the banana-disease are extant here. It seems however, that the disease in Fiji is similar to that, investigated by Dr. Joseph Bancroft in Brisbane so carefully,

3

See Queensland Government (1876).

where a very minute parasite, an Anguillula, attacks the banana-plants, particularly their roots. Dr. Bancroft advises soap-water, also tobacco infusion or decoction of tobacco leaf fresh, or carbolic acid water as remedies. When ever the roots of the bananas show signs of disease, the ground should be soaked with one or the other of the liquids mentioned and the plants repeatedly syringed with these liquids; and if this fails as well as such other treatments as with a decoction of the leaves of the Agave (American Aloe) or with strong liquids from wood-ashes, the soil should be ploughed up, left for a while fallow, and then some other culture plant, now

4

not?

harboring Anguillula parasites be resorted to for a while. Then planting should subsequently be done from unaffected localities, of which there must be many in the Fiji Group.

It would be of interest to learn, whether the Fijians had to cope with the banana-disease already prior to European Colonisation.

Some Bisulphide of Carbon might also experimentally be instilled into the ground of diseased banana plantations.

5

Bancroft's work and M's 'judicious advice' were the focus of advice furnished to the Colonial Office by W. Thiselton-Dyer in November 1890 (see Kew Bulletin, no. 48 [December 1890], pp. 272-3), with a further, confirmatory report in ibid., no. 62 (February 1892), pp. 48-9, citing work by the NSW Plant Pathologist, N. A. Cobb.