396 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Decembee 5, 1914. 



FUNGUS NOTES. 



HOT WATER TREATMENT FOR COTTON 



ANTHRACNOSE. 



In view of its importance, we reproduce in full a pre- 

 liminary note concerning the treatment of cotton seed witli 

 liot water for the destruction of the fungus of authracnose, 

 (.ontributed to Science (Vol XL, p. 109) by H. W. Barre and 

 A^'. B. Aull, of Clenison t'ollege, South Carolina. Hot water 

 treatment of various kinds of 'grain for the prevention of 

 .smut diseases is now a well established practice. 



The note reads as follows: 'During the past three 

 niniiths we have been making a study of the effect of hut 

 water at ditt'erent temperatures on the anthracnose fungus 

 and cotton seed. The results are very interesting and seem 

 to have an important bearing on the control of the disease. 

 Cotton anthracnose is known to be carried in the seed. The 

 fungus penetrates the seed coats, and the hyphae and spores 

 have been found in the cotyledons on the inside of the seed 

 Avhile the seeds were still in a dormant condition. So far, no 

 treatment has been reported which wiU kill the fungus 

 without killing the seed. Our hot water treatment studies 

 « ere made with a view of determining whether or not the 

 fungus could be killed by hot water without injuring the 

 seed. Our results so far are very encouraging, and are 

 considered to be of sufficient importance to warrant pul:>liea- 

 tion at this time of tliis preliminary statement. 



'To begin with, we placed cotton seed in water at 

 different temperatures and for different lengths of time, and 

 then germinated them between blotters in the ordinary way 

 in incubators with a view of determining how high a tem- 

 perature cotton seed wonld stand without injury. As a 

 result of these tests we find that cotton seed can remain in 

 Avater at 70° Centigrade for fifteen minutes without injuring 

 the germination. Fifty per cent, of the seed germinated 

 that were allowed to stand in water at 7.5 Centigrade for 

 fifteen minutes. In a few cases more than .50 per cent, of 

 the seed germinated that had been treated five minutes at 

 80 Centigrade, but in the majority of cases a very small 

 per cent, of the seed treated for five minutes or longer at 

 80' germinated. 



'The fact that cotton seed, which had been allowed to 

 stand in water at 70° Centigrade for fifteen minute.s, germin- 

 ated as well as the untreated checks, prompted us to 

 germinate a large number of treated seed under sterile 

 conditions, and to examine the seedlings for anthracnose. 

 AVe used for this purpose the method which has been in use 

 in this laboratory for the past four years for testing seed for 

 disease by germinating thtm in sleriie test tubes. These 

 tests .seem to show conclusively that the fungus hyphae and 

 spores in the seed are killed when cotton seed is allowed to 

 remain in water at 70° Centigrade for fifteen minutes, and the 

 germinating power of the seed is not injured. An average of 

 22 per cent, of the seedlings in the checks from the same lot 

 of seed, and germinated under the game conditions, were 

 disea.sed. We now have two fields on the college farm 

 planted with seed which were given this treatment, and so far 

 there is no indication of disease in the seedlings, while in the 

 fields planted with the same lot of seed, but not treated, 

 diseased seedlings are abundant. The field tests will, of 

 ■course, not be complete until the end of the season when the 

 plants are all mature." 



COB ROT OF CORN. 



We have received Bulletin 2(i.5 of the Ohio 

 Agi-icultural Experiment Station, which gives the 

 results of an investigation by E. G. Arzberger, of the 

 c ob rot of corn. 



It appears that in the fall of 1911 there was prevalent 

 over Ohio a disease or atfection of corn, which had not 

 previously been ob.served on so large a scale. The trouble 

 was manifested in a softening and decay of the cob, rendering 

 the grain unmerchantable. The outbreak was so general. 

 that great anxiety was felt lest a serious disease of this most 

 important cereal had made its appearance, and in response 

 to the request of leading grain dealers and others, an 

 emergency appropriation was authorized by the Emergency 

 Board, for the study of the outbreak liy the Botanical 

 Department of the Experiment Station. 



It was found that the fungus concerned in the rot is 

 Coniosporiiua Gecei'i, Bubak. A large number of living 

 corn plants were examined without any being found that 

 were infected, and artificial inoculations of living plants were 

 quite unsucces.sful. It is concluded that the fungus acts 

 only as a saprophyte, exi.sting principally on the tissue of the 

 cob after it reaches maturity, and doing relatively little 

 damage to the kernels. As regards its economic significance 

 it must be classed with the well-known moulds, such as. 

 Asperi/illus and Penicillium, as capable of bringing about 

 deterioration of the stored product to an extent which varies 

 with the conditions of "ripening and storage. 



CARE OF HORSES IN THE TROPICS. 



The following notes from a paper by Dr. W. R. L. Best^. 

 which appeared in the Philippine Agricultural Review^ 

 August 1911, on the care of horses in the Philippine Islands, 

 will probably prove of interest to West Indian readers, the 

 conditions of climate and food in the two archipelagoes being 

 somewhat similar. 



AVith regard to breeding horses, the writer emphasizes 

 a fact that is too often forgotten in the AVest Indies, viz., 

 that to produce colts which will be of good market value, the 

 mares should be of good quality. Breeders may also be 

 reminded that it costs no more to keep a good mare than to 

 keep an inferior animal. Further, unless a good sire is 

 selected, the colts will necessarily be disappointing. 



When mares are in foal moderate work is beneficial to 

 them up to within a few days of foaling, provided that care 

 is taken not to overload or overdrive them. In fact, moderate 

 regular work is better for the mare in that condition than 

 allowing her to run at large, when she is exposed to accidents,, 

 or than keeping her tied in the stable, when she wUl probably 

 sufi'er from lack of exercise. 



The earlier the training of a colt begins, the easier is the 

 task; the longer it is postponed, the greater is the chance of 

 a hard struggle in bt-eaking it in. The colt may well be 

 gently taught to lead, to back, to obey simple words of 

 command, from the tijne it is a couple of weeks old. 



\s a rule, the horse .should not be pui to work under 

 two and a half years of age, and then the work should be 

 light, and the working hours .short until i' is f. ur years old. 



If the work of the horse is heavy, the we'ght of grain in 

 its ration .should be increased, and that of tl.c haj' or grass 

 diminished; on the other hand, if the work be light, the weight 

 of hay or grass may be increased, and that of the grain 

 decreased. The morning and noon meal should be compara- 



