INSTITUTE AND COLLEGE, PUSA, FOR 1913-14. 61 



buds. The chief source of infection was the form of 

 Colletotrichum falcatum which occurs on the mid ribs of 

 leaves. The process of sett selection, described in previous 

 publications, offers the best method of combating this 

 disease. In districts where the local cane is badly dis- 

 eased a fresh healthy type of cane should be imported and 

 setts inspected carefully each year before planting. 

 Fortunately in India we have a large range of these canes 

 of hardy habit and great tillering power, which are rela- 

 tively immune to red rot, and it has been found possible by 

 hybridisation to combine the characters of such canes with 

 those of the thicker, heavier yielding varieties of other 

 countries. The introduction of new and immune varie- 

 ties of cane has been very successful in Bombay Presidency. 

 The Imperial Mycologist visited Surat in October last and 

 concluded that while the present state of the cane was 

 good an outbreak of disease must be expected unless there 

 is a marked improvement in local cultivation. At present 

 the canes are grown in low lands and are practically water- 

 logged. The adoption of the Godavari trench system or 

 the nursery system of cultivation common in Ganjam is 

 recommended. 



The wilt disease of sugarcane was found to be due to 

 the attack of Cephalosporium Sacchari Butl., a hitherto 

 undescribed species. This disease strongly resembles " red 

 rot," but in the case of infection by air-borne spores the 

 plant was found to be far more susceptible to infection 

 at stem wounds than in the previous case. The disease 

 has been found at Surat, Poona, Samalkota and throughout 

 North-eastern India. The control of the trouble should 

 be on the same lines as in true red rot. As, however, 

 wound infection is more common, the importance of remov- 

 ing diseased clumps before they have time to rot and set free 

 spores is much greater. It is probable that this disease is 

 incapable of doing permanent damage so long as the 

 measures advocated against red rot, which are essential 

 to the successful growing of thick cane in Northern India, 



are carried out. 



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