Vol. XII. No. 281. 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



being parasitic upon tbat plant for one generation, thus 

 Showing a gradiiiil adaptation to the new host. Clover, 

 which is sometimes attacked in Denmark, he was not able 

 10 infect with Khizoctonia. I'lricksson's resuUs show there- 

 fore a very .slight speciali/alioii in the parasitism on dilVcrent 

 ■hosts. 



Shaw's results in India agree more or less with those of 

 Ericksson. In those of the hosts, namely, ground nut, cotton 

 and cowpea, the infection powers of the respective Khizoctonias 

 seem to be of a like order. In e>ch case reciprocal infections 

 were obtained, although the virulence of the fungus is greatest 

 on its own particular host. Thus the Rhizoctonia from cotton, 

 if infected upon ground nut, jute or cowpea, causes a mortality 

 of about 40 to 50 per cent., but upon cotton it produces 

 a mortality of 80 per cent. The Rhizootnnia of jute shows 

 a high degree of specialization, as it duus not attack the other 

 three hosts at all under ordinary circumstances. Shaw recrds 

 several interesting facts regarding host reaction. Jute reacts 

 to cotton and cowpea infection by cork formation; and when 

 •ihe cowpea reacts successfully against the fungus, the hyphae 

 appear to remain in the intercellular spaces; whereas when 

 lihizoctonia proves fatal, the hyphae penetrate the living cells. 



In the light of these facts it is evident that physiologic il 

 .specialization of the fungus exists, unaccompanied by any 

 cutward morphological distinction. 



IDENTITY. In his discussion of the identity of the 

 fundus, Shaw arrives at the conclusion that the species which 

 attacks jute, cotton, cowpea and ground nut is R. solani, 

 Kiihn. Shaw is, however, able to corroliurate Rolf's assertion, 

 ihat a basidiomycetous form occurs, possessing vegetative 

 characteristics similar to those of lihizoctonia; but this 

 particular form possesses sclerotia which are much larger than 

 thos3 belonging to U. sol-ini. This form is called the 

 anacrosclerotial form and has been identified by Shaw as 

 /,'. violacoi of which the fertile stage is Coiiicium vn ,11111. 



The two organisms then, which in India, attack the 

 i;round nut and cowpea are, Rliizoctonia solani, Kiihn, of 

 which the fertile stage has yet to be discovered, and 

 Coyficium va</um, B. and C, which is. the fertile stage 

 of Ji. rici/aaa: whereas jute and cotton are attacked only 

 \«y Rhi-oi-toiiia solani: and there are at least four specia- 

 lized forms of this species in India, which cannot be dis- 

 tinguished except by inoculation experiments. Each one 

 of these four forms possesses microscierotia; this differ- 

 entiates them from the vegetative parts of Corticinm vagum, 

 which produces macrosclerolia. 



Experiments in connexion with preventive measures indi- 

 cate that carbolic powder apijlied to the soil in small (juantities 

 is effective. Xajihthalene, though it kills the fungus, inter- 

 feres, in the case of jute, with the germination of the seed, even 

 ■when it is used in very small quantities. Probably the best 

 means of combating the disease is by a careful rotation of 

 crops, and it should be remembered in this connexion that 

 the fungus is spread chiefly by means of.the sclerotia that 

 lie dormant in the .soil. 



WEST INDIAN PRODUCTS. 



DRUGS AND SPICES IN THE LONDON 



MARKET. 



The Report of Mr. J. R. Jackson is as follows: — 



The last month of the year 1912 began with fair supplies 

 of drugs, and an active market, but with a g'jod many changes 



in prices, mostly tending upwuds, thereby, in many cases, 

 limiting the demand. In the second week there was a distinct 

 feeling that the Christinas holiday, and stock taking seasons 

 were approaching, with the concurrent effect of diminislied 

 trade, a condition that will rumiin until the second week in 

 the New Year when the drug auctions will be again resumed. 



GIXGEK. 



There has been very little business done in this article 

 throughout the month. .\t the first auction on the 4th 26-5 

 bags of rough washed Cochin were offered and bought in, at 

 35s. for fair medium and small, and 32.s. for wormy. No sale.s 

 were effected at any of the subsequent auctions. 



NUTMEi:S .\ N U M.\OK. 



At the first sale on the 4th there was a steady demand 

 for nutmegi, 145 packages of West Indian selling at the 

 following rates; 66's at Gi., 79's to S9's, 4|rf. to o\d , 91'$ to 

 102's, il'L, to 5k/., 105's to 115's, 4|d to 5|d, llT's to 

 127's, 5-./., and 144s to 153's, 4 ft/. A week later the sales of 

 West Indian nutmegs amounted to 148 packages at rates^ 

 varying very slightly from the preceding. At this auction 

 some packages of Eistern were also offered and sold, 96's 

 fetching Aid. and 137's 4J(? ; limed sold at 5|'i. for 70's and 

 4|rf. for 95's. On the 18th, 88 packages of West Indian 

 were offered and mostly sold, GG's to 76's fetching 5i</. to 

 Qhd., 8r's to 94's, SJ-tf. to ^d., 'J7'sto 105s, M. and 135s to 

 142's, i\d. to 5rf ; of mace the sales were as follows. On the 

 4th of the month, 4 4 packages of West Indian were brought 

 forward, part of which sold at 2s. to 2s 'id., and broken at 

 Is. 9(:/. to Is. \Qd. A week later, namely on the 11th, 34 

 packages were offered and sold at 2.s. to is 3i. per lb. 



SAESAPAKILLA. 



The only sale of this drug was held on the 12th of the 

 month, when the offerings amounted to 21 bales of grey 

 Jamaica and 5 of native Jamaica. The whole of the former 

 was disposed of, ]*■. 9d. to Is lOd. being paid for fair 

 slightly rough, and !.■-' 8d. for part rough. The five bales of 

 native Jamaica were all bought in at from 9d. to l.s. 2d. per 

 tt) for inferior pale to fair bright red. 



CASSIA FI.ST0LA, KOI,.\ AND TAMARINDS. 



It was reported at the beginning of the month that the 

 new crop of East Indian Cassia Fistula was both plentiful 

 and good: at the drug auction on the r2th of the month, 

 the offerings amounted to 52 packages, only 30 of these 

 found buj'ers at from 18.s. to 2(i.<. per cwt. for lean Java. 

 A firm trade has been done in kola which was represented 

 at auction on the 12th by 21 bags which were all sold; 14 

 bags of fair dried West Indian realized 5d. per ft)., slightly 

 mouldy, 4;W. and mouldy, 3-^d. A further bag of bright West 

 Indian halves, fetched 4Jrf. per lb. and pickings lid. Five 

 bags of small Ceylon quarters were also sold at i\d. per lb. 

 In the early jjart of the month. West India tamarinds were 

 represented by 30 packages, four of which were .sold 

 at 1 2s. 6''. per cwt. 



With reference to the increased use of vanillin, in place 

 of the true Vanilla pod, it may be of interest to note tliat 

 the makers of the artificial product are said to be consider- 

 ing, in consequence of the increasing cost of eugenol, the 

 utilization of phenol in the preparation of vanillin. A warning 

 has been given to those who use the artificial product foe 

 food rtavouring, to satisfy themselves as to its source. 



