46 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



January :.'9, 1916. 



PLANT DISEASES. 



WILT DISEASE OF SUGAR-CANE : 

 A CORRECTION. 



In the aiticlu on the above subject published in the 

 issue of tliis Journal dated January 1, 191(5, p. 14, the state- 

 ment is made that the infested material received from 

 Mr. F. K. Shepherd was from a field of White Transparent 

 cane in St. Kitts. We now learn that owing to the omission 

 of a covering letter a mistake was made in referring the 

 material to this source; it was actually forwarded, at the 

 instance of Dr. Tempany, from an estate in Nevis. The 

 name of the variety affected has not been supplied. 



Specimens of the White Transparent cane from the 

 JSt. Kitts locality mentioned have also been examined, and 

 their diseased condition would appear to be adequately 

 accounted for by the evident severe infestation with Maras- 

 mius. The wilt fungus was not detected upon them. 



THE IMPORTATION OF PLANT DISEASES. 



We learn from a letter addressed by Mr. D. Fairchild, 

 of the V'.S.1).A. Bureau of Plant Industry, to Jlr. H. A. van 

 Hermann, Chief of the Department of Horticulture, Havana, 

 Cuba, and published in Moderti Cuba for November 191.ii, 

 that a destructive disease of bamboos has been found in 

 America on plants imported from Japan and grown at the 

 I'hico Plant Introduction Garden. 



The letter asks for the e.xamination of bamboos distri- 

 buted by the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction, 

 ior the purpose of ascertaining how widely the disease has 

 spread, and with a view to taking steps to arrest its further 

 distribution. 



It would seem that a strong doubt must arise, if it is 

 not already in e.Kistence, as to whether the beneficial results 

 of the I'nited States Department's activity in the exploration 

 of foreign countries in search of novelties are at all commen- 

 surate with the demonstrated risk of the introduction of new 

 pests and diseases. Among.st the acquisitions from the 

 J-last are to be reckoned the chestnut bark disease, which is 

 systematically wiping out of existence one of the most 

 valuable of American timber trees; the citrus canker, which 

 -seriously threatens to have the same effect on the grajjefruit 

 industry of the southern .states; and now, if it takes advantage 

 of its chances, a disease of bamboo which is described as 

 extremely serious, and of the greatest economic importance 

 to the bambo(j grower, as it may lead to the death of 

 entire bamboo forests. 



The general question is not one which concerns the 

 United States ;ilone, since the existence there of Eastern 

 diseases of tropical and sub-tropical plants greatly increases 

 the chances of their spreading to the countries and islands of 

 the American tropics. 



The following information concerning the disease is 

 ai)pended by Mr. Kairchild to his letter. 



'■Uslilago shiraiana, Henn. According to the investi- 

 aatious of Dr. Hori, who has studied the disease on bamboo 

 in Ja]mn, and the observations of the pathological inspectors 

 of this Bureau, the di.sease always occurs on the young and 

 ■ growing points of the branches. When the young short 

 Ijranches, still covered by the leaf sheaths and bracts, are 

 attacked, they appear somewhat swollen but show no external 



evidence of smut. The growth of such diseased branches is- 

 arrested and finally as the external coverings of the buds fall 

 away, the sooty portions are exposed. Wien most of the- 

 young branches are diseased the winter buds or undeveloped 

 spring buds begin to develop. At a certain stage in the 

 development of the disease a witches broom formation is 

 often apparent 



'Dr. Hori states that the wind is the principal factor in 

 the distribution of the disease and observes that the branches 

 of bamboo growing outside of the forest are much more 

 smutted than the inner branches. 



'In view of the .seriousness of this disease the Depart- 

 ment would urgently recommend that all bamboo growers 

 watch their plants for any evidence of smut. As the presence- 

 of fungus is not conspicuous in the early stages it is well to- 

 scrutinize the young growth closely, opening the glumes 

 and running the fingers along the internodes to discover if 

 the black powdery spores of the smut are present. 



'Burning of all diseased plants is the only sure means of 

 eradication. Spraying with Bordeaux mixture when the 

 spring buds begin to develop has been suggested as probably 

 beneficial but it is a doubtful means of control. 



'The disease has been found in this country (U.S.A.) 

 on Phyllostacliys puberula Munro (P. benonis Mitforp) and 

 P. bambusoides Sieb. and Zucc. (P. quilioi Riviere), and 

 in Japan on Sasa ramosa, .Makino and Shibata, a wild, 

 bamboo, and on Ariindinaria siniouichino Makino and 

 Shibata.' 



^\'.N. 



Trinidad News.— The following notes are taken from, 

 recent issues of the Portof-Spam Gazette: — 



According to figures obtained from official records, there 

 were shipped from the Colony during the fortnight ended 

 December 19, 191.">, 1,7-53,499 gallons Trinidad crude 

 petroleum oil. Of this quantity 1,6.3.5,6"24 gallons were 

 shipped to England, 1 1,000 gallons to St. Kitts, and 680 

 gallons to Grenada. Of the remainder which was shipped tfs 

 American ports, 29,971 gallons were taken for bunker 

 purposes. For the same period, 0,860 tons of asphalt were 

 shipped, all of which with the exception of 1,02.5 tons for 

 Liverpool, were shipped to American ports. 



On the Brechin ('astle estate, Couva, some very interest- 

 ing experiments are now being carried out under the control 

 of the Department of Agriculture. The object is to test the 

 ripening capacity of canes month by month. One of the 

 complaints against canes grown by farmers is that the)' are 

 often delivered to the factory when not i|uite ripe, and this 

 naturally affects the ultimate weight of sugar. If the 

 Department of Agriculture succeeds, as it bids fair to do, in 

 growing a cane which will ripen in twelve months, that will 

 be a distinct boon to planters in general, and the farmer in 

 particular. 



The crushing of limes and exportation of the juice, at 

 the Carenage cassava and link-s factory, is fast coming to a 

 close for the season. The outi)Ut obtained from the Company's 

 fields as also from adjoining lands, has been very satisfactory, 

 all things considered. With respect tt) the cassava depart- 

 ment however, we understand that conditions are just the 

 opposite. The peasantry decline to sell their cassava to the 

 factory (delivered at the yard) for 6*i per ton, when they are 

 able to obtain .5n. per barrel in the fields (tlie purchasers often 

 assisting in tlie reaping), a ton of cassa\a lieing equal to at 

 least 10 barrels. The cassava sold ill this way is converted 

 iiit(i farine. 



