182 Report of tjie Botanist of the 



%^'itli that form of stem-rot commonly kno^vll as dry rot or die 

 back ;""' but wo have never before known Fusarium to produce a 

 genuine leaf-spot of carnations. Inoculation experiments may 

 show that this Fiisarivm is identical with the one cauF'ing carna- 

 tion stem-rot. 



The plants were grown under conditions exceptionally favorable 

 to the attack of fungi. They were so situated that direct sunlight 

 never reached them. However, they were doing fairly well and 

 were free from disease Avith the exception of the Fusarium leaf- 

 spot and a moderate attack of rust. 



VI. CHAETOMIUM CONTORTUM OX BARLEY SEED- 



LIIs^GS. 



In March, 1895, the writer found a new species of Chaelomium 

 on some lily bulbs in a greenhouse on Long Island. The fungus 

 was sent to Dr. C. H. Peck, State Botanist, who named it Cliae- 

 tomium contortum.^' Eor nearly four years after this nothing was 

 heard of it; then it was again found in one of the Station green- 

 houses. In December, 1898, some barley seedlings used in an 

 experiment on plant nutrition began to languish without appar- 

 ent cause. Upon making an examination of the diseased plants 

 it was found that several perithecia of Chaetomium contortum were 

 seated on the seed pericarps whicli still remained attached to the 

 young plants. So far as knowai none of the species of Chaetomium 

 are parasitic, but this case was so suspicious that it Avas decided 

 to test the matter by experiment. Fifty seeds of barley were 

 planted in each of two boxes in sterilized soil. One of the boxes 

 was inoculated at three points with pure cultures of the Chaetomium 



26 For an account of the Fusarium stem-rot of carnations, see: Sturgis, 

 Wm. C. Preliminary Investigations on a Disease of Carnations. Twenty- 

 First Ann. Kept. Conn. Agr. Exp. Sta., 1897: 175-181. Also, Stewart, F. C. 

 The Stem-Rot Diseases of the Carnation. Bot. Gaz., 27: 129-130. 



27 Forty-Ninth Ann. Kept. N. Y. State Museum. Report of State Botanist, 

 p. 24. 



