LOUISIANA. 119 



rots. The life historj' of the principal organisms connected with these 

 cotton diseases and their relation to the host plant were worked out 

 and some of the results are soon to be published. The investigation 

 of the fig diseases was completed, the perfect stage of fig anthracnose 

 having been worked out, and the results of the study were published 

 as Bulletin 126 of the station. Considerable work was done on the 

 sugar-cane diseases, and a bulletin on the subject was published 

 during the year. This work included a study of the distribution of 

 the diseases in the State and the life history of the different causative 

 organisms. A large number of successful inoculation experiments 

 were carried on with the organism causing the red-rot disease. In 

 studying the wilt disease of pepper, special attention was given to the 

 distribution of the fungus on different host plants and to the resist- 

 ance of the sclerotia to different chemicals and to desiccation. Studies 

 of the life history of an alfalfa disease were continued, and notes 

 were also made on a leaf spot attacking this crop. A lack of material 

 prevented work on rice smut during the past year. 



The investigations on conditions most conducive to complete com- 

 bustion in bagasse furnaces were reported upon. A drier has been 

 designed by means of which the moisture content can be determined 

 and studied. During the past cane-grinding season the drier was 

 operated in 40 tests of eight hours each. The efficiency of the drier 

 was found to be about 30 per cent and the fuel value of the bagasse 

 to be increased about 32 per cent. The results of this work on mois- 

 ture contained in bagasse and its influence on fuel value, the condi- 

 tions influencing combustion of bagasse, and other matters connected 

 w4th the problem have all been published and the work is considered 

 as completed. The station deems it a matter of practical mechanics 

 to adapt machinery to the accomplishment on a large scale what it 

 has accomplished in an experimental way. 



The bacteriological study of raw sugars and sugarhouse products 

 was continued and a bulletin entitled " The Bacterial Deterioration of 

 Sugars '■ was published during the year. Particular attention was 

 given to the relative rates of deterioration of various types of sugars 

 and the conditions that cause deterioration, including more particu- 

 larly moisture, temperature, and the presence of impurities. A study 

 was also made of the highly acidifying types of organisms in sugar 

 and the influence of these organisms and their products on the 

 deterioration of sugar. 



In studying the nonsugars of sugar cane, work on the pentosans, 

 carbohydrates, and nitrogen constituents in cane was taken up. Dur- 

 ing the grinding season special attention was given to the means of 

 adapting the carbonation process to clarification of cane juices, and 

 some important facts regarding the influence of temperature and 

 degi'ee of alkalinity were developed. A much greater percentage of 



