44 Rt:PORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



sary to continue in pot culture. Nothing has occurred to 

 shake the opinion advocated by this section that it is pri- 

 marily a disease conveyed in the sets and it is encouraging 

 to report that scarcely a trace of it could be found at Samal- 

 kota Farm in the last crop. Similarly at Pusa there is 

 ordinarily little, except near where the inoculation experi- 

 ments are in progress. These results are believed to be 

 due almost entirely to the methods of set selection recom- 

 mended in 1906. There is, hov^ever, a good deal still to be 

 elucidated. The life history of three undescribad sugar- 

 cane parasites has been in great part worked out. One 

 causes a root disease in certain varieties of cane at Samal- 

 kota; its study has been carried out chiefly by Mr. Hafiz 

 Khan, who has also investigated a leaf disease at Pusa. 

 The third is prevalent in Behar. Work on sugarcane smut 

 was continued. 



Wilt-Diseases. — The results of the work of several years 

 on the wilt disease of pigeon pea were issued as a memoir 

 early in 1910. No opportunity arose for the study of other 

 field crop wilts still awaiting investigation. In November, 

 Mr. McKae visited the Wynaad at the request of the United 

 I^lanters' Association of Southern India to investigate the 

 pepper-vine wilt. He was accompanied by Mr. R. Anstead, 

 Planting Expert to the Association, in conjunction with 

 whom a scheme of experiments m the treatment of the 

 disease was drawn up. As the cause, and indeed the whole 

 history of this disease are still obscure, little advice of real 

 value to pepper planters can be given as yet. 



Ginger rot. — The investigation of this disease, caused 

 by Pythium gracile, was continued by Mr. McRae, who 

 visited Kangpur, Eastern Bengal, twice during the season. 

 It is the principal trouble connected with ginger growing 

 in this district and in Gujarat. It is hoped to publish an 

 illustrated account shortly, with suggestions for treatment. 

 Experiments so far appear to indicate that it is possible to 

 check it by careful seed selection and rotation. 



Fruit Diseases. — The survey of diseases of temperate 

 fruit trees in India, was continued, chiefly from material 



