80 SCIENTIFIC REPORTS OF THE AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH 



spraying against this disease is being tested during the 

 current season. 



Fire blight. This destructive bacterial disease seems 

 to be present in Kumaun orchards and will be kept under 

 observation. 



During the year under review the " foot rot " disease of 

 papaya in Pusa was again investigated and found to be due 

 to a species of Pythium. Infections with pure cultures of 

 Pythium were successful in producing the disease and more- 

 over the species of Pythium concerned appears to be iden- 

 tical with that which causes " damping oil ; of tobacco 

 seedlings and soft rot of ginger. Excision of the diseased 

 tissue and treatment of the wound with a wash of 50 per 

 cent, carbolic acid in water appears to be effective remedy. 



A ripe rot of peaches caused by a species of Aspergillus 

 was for the first time found in Pusa during the past season. 

 The same species has been known to attack mangoes as well. 



(7) " Tikka " disease of groundnut. The groundnut 

 crop is attacked by two distinct fungi, one the cause of true 

 tikka, Cercospora personata (B. and C.) Ellis; the other, an 

 undescribed species of Cercospora, which occurs commonly 

 in the crop in various parts of Tndia. The disease due to 

 the unnamed Cercospora is apparently only known in 

 India and, in the last ten years, has been collected in various 

 parts of this country. The outbreak at Ranchi in the past 

 year was the first case in which it was observed as a serious 

 disease. In the Ranchi plots the distribution was quite 

 erratic and did not seem to bear any relation to either the 

 variety grown or the manurial treatment. It was exceed- 

 ingly difficult, without microscopic examination, to distin- 

 guish the two attacks : the symptoms were similar, and the 

 damage much about the same in both cases. It appeared 

 to be a matter of chance which fungus was most prevalent 

 in any particular plot. It is probable that the increased 

 amount of this disease in the groundnut crop at Ranchi is 

 due either to some deterioration in the plant or some un- 

 suitability in the locality. It would possibly be worth 



