60 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



4 GEORGE V., A. 1911 

 THE DIVISION OF BOTANY. 



The work of this Division has been partly new and partly continued along the 

 same lines as last year. 



INSPECTORS UNDER THE DESTRUCTIVE INSECT AND PEST ACT. 



An extensive inspection of potatoes and potato crops was carried on. The follow- 

 ing inspectors acted for longer or shorter periods of time: Messrs. Sydney Dash, 

 Hugh H. Lindesay, Herbert Groh, B.S.A., P. Lavoie, Rolph Holmden and H. Selwyn. 

 As the work terminated in the different localities, the services of the inspectors were 

 dispensed with, and at present only two remain to finish the work and start a new 

 campaign towards planting time. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



The correspondence is one of the principal features of the advisory work of the 

 Division, and takes up considerable time; the number of letters received and 

 despatched steadily increases, amounting for the year of report to 2,107 letters receiyed 

 and 2,531 sent out, or nearly double the number dealt with the year previous. Cor- 

 respondence is the means by which the Experimental Farms are kept in closest con- 

 tact with the farmers and fruit-growers of the Dominion, and- although among the 

 inquiries received there are, naturally, many relating to the same subjects, yet much 

 useful information is often gained from this source on the distribution of weeds 

 and plant diseases; furthermore, by these means, new problems have frequently been 

 brought to our attention. 



This year, some one thousand plants and weeds were identified, and information 

 given as requested by their senders. A large number of inquiries dealt with diseases 

 of economic plants, and the remainder were of a miscellaneous and executive 

 character. 



INVESTIGATIONS. 



(a) Grain Diseases. 



Smut Diseases of Grain. — The great importance of the diseases of grain and 

 related crops caused by smut fungi, necessitated close attention to the study of cer- 

 tain phases of the life-history of these destructive organisms, and the control of such 

 diseases. Since the organization of the plant pathological work of this Division, 

 special attention has been paid to this problem. These investigations have now been 

 concluded, and a bulletin (No. 73) has been prepared. 



Studies of the Discolouration of Wheat Grains. — From time to time there have 

 been received samples of wheat showing a shrivelling of the grain, accompanied by a 

 more or less brownish discolouration. In some cases large samples submitted showed 

 as many as 17 per cent grains discoloured. On germination, the young plant developed 

 fairly well at first, but soon the rootlets began to decay before the food supply of the 

 grain became exhausted. A considerable series of fungi appeared and were isolated; 

 while some of them may be of secondary nature and harmless, yet they appeared fairly 

 constantly, and experiments are being carried on to test their relation to the discolour- 

 ation. At present, fungi like Cladosporium, Macrosporium, Hormodendron, Epicoc- 

 cum, Septoria <Heterosporium were observed, and pure cultures of them will be 

 used for infection experiments. In some instances, the discoloured grains caused a 

 sample to appear off colour, and in others the germination was found to be poor. In 

 case fungi or bacteria are found to be capable of injuring grain in this manner, a 

 careful study is necessary to prevent serious consequences, as such discoloured grain 

 can hardly be classed as the best grade. 



