70 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
interesting organisms were found, but among the many iso- 
lated, only 12 species grew upon the serum at 37°C; and 
upon making the requisite animal inoculations it was found 
that two species produced slight lesions, but perhaps insuffi- 
cient to be considered of primary pathogenic importance. 
The cultural characteristics of the more interesting organisms 
found were studied and described. 
An Important Cabbage Disease.—Mr. J. C. Gilman, Rufus 
J. Lackland Fellow, was occupied for a year or more at the 
University of Wisconsin, and for a year at the Garden, with 
a general study of an important cabbage disease. While en- 
gaged in the selection of a variety of cabbage resistant to 
the “yellows”—a very destructive disease of this important 
crop—it was thought advisable to undertake investigations 
to determine the conditions under which the disease occurred. 
The cause of the disease was found to be a fungus (Fusarium 
conglutinans) which lived saprophytically in the soil and 
became parasitic on the cabbage plant cheoudh the roots. 
The fungus then grew into the water-conducting tissue of 
the cabbage and ultimately killed the plant, perhaps by slow 
stoppage of the water supply. The Fenton was studied in 
pure culture and in the ald. It was found to be resistant 
to drying and to require a rather high temperature for its 
best development in culture. Detailed observations in the 
field indicate that warm weather is at least a strongly pre- 
disposing cause. Experiments under controlled conditions 
of temperature in the greenhouse confirmed these observa- 
tions. The disease occurred at temperatures of 17-22°C. or 
above, but was not found when the temperature was kept at 
12-16°C. or below. No remedial measures have been devised, 
but other work has shown that highly resistant strains of 
cabbage may be selected. 
The Relation of Resin and Turpentine to Wood Decay.— 
Recently much interest has been aroused among lumbermen 
concerning specifications for structural timber, the require- 
ments of which are strength and durability. The strength 
depends upon the specific weight of the wood, but the natural 
factors which control the durability or resistance of wood to 
the growth and development of wood-decaying fungi present 
an open —— The Yellow Pine Manufacturers Associa- 
tion has heretofore considered the growth rings as indices 
both of strength and durability of the timber, based upon 
the proportion of summer wood and number of rings per 
inch. The rings of growth are = of layers of dense, 
dark, usually resinous summer wood and softer, lighter, less 
sean wood, and the greater the percentage of sum- 
mer w the greater the strength and durability of the 
