340 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y 



In the latter case all communication between the root and the 

 aerial portion of the plant is cut off, and, of course, the plant 

 withers and dies. But frequently the stem may be eaten off so far 

 that the plant has not suthcient strength in the remaining tissue at 

 that point to support it and it will fall over, and, perhaps, if the 

 disease does not progress any farther, it may remain fresh and 

 green for weeks, but it is rare that after this stage the plant re- 

 covers sufficient strength at that point to erect itself again. Fre- 

 quently, however, when the stem is nearly eaten off, the disease may 

 be arrested, and the plant completely recover from the effects. 



During the winter of 1894-5, some bean plants in the horticultu- 

 ral forcing houses of Cornell University were affected by this dis- 

 ease and quite a number of them presented brown 

 and quite deep ulcers on the stems at the surface 

 of the ground. A few of the plants went so far 

 as not to be able to stand. Some of the worst 

 ones were pulled up, but others which were quite 

 badly diseased remained in the bed and all gradually 

 recov^ered completely. The plants were six to ten 

 inches in height when the trouble was called to my 

 attention. When the plants attain this size the 

 disease cannot make much headway, but even very 

 young plants will frequently recover from the effects. 

 It is more serious when it attacks smaller seed- 

 lings, as radishes, lettuce, etc. Egg plants and cab- 

 bages as well as others are known to be affected. 

 Both the plants in seed beds in the forcing houses 

 have been seriously affected by this fungus. Let- 

 tuce is frequently eaten off at the surface of the ground and the 

 plants supported by others near may remain erect and fresh for sev- 

 eral days. Gradually, however, if not quickly, they wither and fall 

 when the fungus grows in the tissues farther as a saprojDhyte. If 

 such plants be placed in a moist chamber, it is not necessary to place 

 them in water ; in a day or two there will be developed on the sm*- 

 rounding moist paper on which it is well to place the plants, a pro- 

 fuse growth of mycelium composed of whitish threads. To be 

 sure that these threads are those of this fungus and not those of 

 some mucor it will be necessary to have recourse to the micro- 

 scope. The most characteristic peculiarity of the threads of the 

 mycelium is to be found in connection with the branching. The 



55.— sterile fungus 

 grown on slide 

 from seedling o ^ 

 Centau rea c a n d i- 

 dissima. 



