8 REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



the results of the past season's experiments give promise 

 that the cheap, quick and safe transit of first quality fruit 

 to any part of India will soon be an accomplished fact. 



6. Mycology. — An investigation is in progress into the 

 disease of paddy known as ufra which is causing great 

 damage in the Noakhali and other districts of Eastern 

 Bengal. At first it was not known whether it was caused by 

 a fungus, an insect, or some other cause. A conjoint ento- 

 mological and mycological investigation resulted in the 

 exclusion of insects as the direct cause and suspicions have 

 been thrown upon an eel- worm so small that it is barely 

 visible by the naked eye. It is estimated that in the 

 Begumganj Thana alone, in the Noakhali district, some 

 200,000 maunds of grain was destroyed in 1910, and last 

 year about half the crop was destroyed. The disease also 

 occurs in Comilla, Chandpur, and the neighbourhood of 

 Dacca. Dr. Butler, the Imperial Mycologist, is devoting 

 special attention to this disease. 



Mr. F. J. F. Shaw, the Supernumerary Mycologist, has 

 devoted a great deal of attention to the rot induced by the 

 soil-dwelling parasite known as Rhizoctonia. Its exist- 

 ence is very widespread, and it attacks crops such as pota- 

 toes, jute, groundnut, cow-pea and cotton, though so far 

 cereal crops fortunately appear to be immune to this 

 disease. Good tillage and a suitable rotation of crops are 

 thought to be the best ways of preventing its ravages. 



Further work has been done on wheat rust, which is a 

 serious disease in this country in certain years. Thus there 

 was last year a severe attack in the Central Provinces, the 

 first for a number of years. The damage was caused by the 

 variety known as " Orange " rust (Puccinia triticina) and 

 much of the loss in 1912 must be attributed to it. In breed- 

 ing rust resistant wheats therefore, for the Central Pro- 

 vinces, Dr. Butler is of opinion that this variety of rust 

 should be taken into account, as well as the '' black " rust 

 {Puccinia grarriinis) which does much damage in normal 

 years. The variety known as " yellow " rust (Puccinia 

 glumarum), does not appear to be of importance. Diseases 

 due to Phytoplithora, Sugarcane diseases, among others one 



