202 Report of the Botanist of tjie 



upwai-d so rapidly that the whole cane is discolored and perme- 

 ated by the fungus hyphae throughout its entire length soon after 

 the leaves are wilted. In the pith of such specimens the h^'phee 

 are especially conspicuous. 



In the currant cane the hyphse are white or dirty white, but on 

 bean stem cultures they soon become smoke colored or even 

 black. No spores or other indications of fructification have been 

 observed and nothing is known of the manner in whichi the 

 fungus is disseminated. It occurs upon both red and white 

 currants, Ribes ruhrum, and has also been observed in one case 

 upon the black currant, R. nigrum. 



The diseased canes should be cut out and burned. In doing 

 this care should be taken to cut well below the lowest point of 

 the disease; otherwise the labor is wasted. Also, the pnming 

 knife shoidd be frequently dipped into some disinfecting solution; 

 for example, a 5 per ct. solution of carbolic acid. If this is not 

 done pruning may serve to spread the disease instead of check- 

 ing it. 



It is hoped that a thorough study of this disease may be made 

 in the near future. 



DEWBERRY DISEASES. 



There are probably other commercial plantations of dewberries 

 in the Hudson Valley, but we have made observations upon one 

 only, which' was located at Highland in Ulster County. The 

 plants were of the variety Lucretia. They were trained up to 

 stakes, several canes to each stake. During the previous winter 

 they had been allowed to lie upon the ground. In the spring 

 they put out leaves normally, but later a good many of them 

 died. Some were just commencing to vdlt at the time of our 

 observations (June 21). It was rare to find all of the canes in 

 a hill dead. Usually, from one to four of thje canes were dead 

 and the rest apparently healthy. As a rule the affected canes 

 were green and healthy for a few inches above the soil; then there 

 came a blackened (but not constricted) portion a few inches long, 

 which seemed to be the seat of the trouble. No fungus was 



