302 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



imported to Canada from Europe. Specimens of scabby pota- 

 toes are being secured from as many localities in Maine as 

 possible and these are being studied to learn if there is more 

 than one form of the disease in this State. This is only a part 

 of the very extended study that is being made of this disease 

 and the organism causing it. 



Some very interesting results have been obtained from feed- 

 ing scabby potato tubers to the horse and the cow. It was found 

 that the germs of the scab organism could pass through the 

 digestive tract of both these animals and still be able to cause 

 the disease if their manure is used for fertilizing a potato field. 

 However it was concluded that as a rule there is little danger 

 from feeding cows an ordinary amount of scabby potatoes 

 provided none of the uneaten tubers were allowed to get into 

 the manure. Uncooked potato peelings or potato refuse should 

 not be thrown on the manure pile. 



STUDIES UPON THE POTATO BLACKLEG ORGANISMS. 



Last year's report stated that a practical method :of the con- 

 trol of blackleg had been worked out and found to be quite 

 successful. Since that time the more technical studies of the 

 organisms associated with the disease have been completed and 

 will soon be published as one of the research papers from this 

 laboratory. It is sufficient to say in the present instance that 

 only one type of organism was found associated with the dis- 

 ease in this State so that the remedial measures which succeeded 

 in one case should be effective in all. 



FUSARIUM DISEASES OE PLANTS. 



There are a rather large number of plant fliseases caused by 

 species of the genus Fusarium. More than 300 species have 

 been described for this genus and many of the descriptions 

 have been very incomplete so that in many cases it has been 

 impossible to determine from the written descrij^tions whether 

 a form which was being studied had been described or not. As 

 a result of this, it has happened in some cases that the same 

 species has been described under two or more different names. 

 This has led to much confusion. This is especially true in the 



