Q6 Bulletin 186. 



ease and some of them showed an abundance of RMzoctonia. Mr. 

 F. M. Kolfs"^^ also reports liaving found Rhizoctonia on beans on 

 Long Island. 



Later, pure cultures from the Geneva material ])roved capable of 

 producing disease in carnation plants, so that the fungus is very 

 likely pathogenic. 



Moreover, on at least two occasions, a TPAz^^x^^o/i^'^ has been found 

 producing damping-ofF among seedling beans in the greenhouse. 

 The disease is characterized by an ulceration of the stem at the sur- 

 face of the soil and later prostration and death of the seedlings. 



On the Beet, Beta milgaris. 



Our attention was first called to this disease by specimens of 

 affected beets sent to us from Binghamton. A few days afterwards 

 the disease was discovered as a beet trouble of considerable impor- 

 tance at Cattatonk, X. Y. Tliis occurrence has been fully treated 

 in Bulletin 163 of the Cornell Experiment Station, and at this time 

 a summary of these notes will suffice. At Cattatonk a three-acre 

 Held was attacked so severely that fully one-third of the crop was 

 lost. Diseased plants are usually found in scattered ai-eas through- 

 out the field ; but the fungus undoubtedly passes readily from plant 

 to plant in the I'ow and it has a tendency to spi'ead radially. Cold 

 weather or dry conditions quickly retard the spread of the trouble, 

 and it is much more abundant where the soil is moist or the surface 

 drainage bad. 



During hot weather the fungus secures a hold most readily at the , 

 bases of the leaves, perliaps because here there is moisture with the 

 slightest rain or dew. Inoculation expeiiments also demonstrate 

 that in these parts the disease " takes " well. The progress of the 

 injury may be noted by the l)lackening of the leaf bases, and linally 

 the wilting and prostration of the leaves themselves. The leaves 

 do not, however, turn brown until after they have fallen. When 

 the fungus has worked into tlie crown and root proper a browning 

 of those parts is evident, and finally deep cracks may appear, as 

 shown in Y\^. 19. 



* Our thanks are due Mr. Rolfs, who has in ide a great many field observations 

 for us. 



