400 KKI'oKT »>K oKiacK (»K KX I'KKIMENT STATIONS. 



soino root tiouhl*', Itiit in those cjiso.s the roots were normal. The ])ark 

 on tho u])per more exposed side of the twites and hranchcs was seen to be 

 brown and diseased for some distance^ in ad\ance of the death of the 

 h'a\es. Some small ])ustules were observed on this diseased area con- 

 taining:: rather innnature pycnidia with lar^o oval, continuous, colorless 

 sporules. In this condition the fun^j-us would be classed as a Macro- 

 plionia, but its appearance sugj^osted that at full maturity the sporules 

 would probably become brown, when the}' would be classed in Sphse- 

 ropsis; or, if the spore became divided into two cells, in Diplodia. 

 The sporules in the latter oenus often remain for some time in this 

 colorless condition before dividing and turning brown, A similar 

 djnng ])ack of cacao limbs occurs in (Ji'cnada,'' caus(>d ))}• J)ij)fodia 

 caauticola^ P. Henn/' It seems probal)le that the Porto Kicaii fungus 

 will prove to bo this species, ])ut unfortunately the material secured 

 docs not full}' settle the question. 



Cacao pod rot. — The same pod rot noted in Jamaica'' occurs in Porto 

 Rico. It usually attacks the blossom end lirst, finall}'^ involving the 

 entire pod. The tissues turn l)rown and are somewhat softened, and 

 the surface is soon covered b}' a white mold-like growth. This con- 

 sists of delicate filament bearing great nimd>ers of very minute oval 

 spores. In agar cultures larger oblong septate spores are produced, 

 showing that it is probably some species of Fusarium, though the 

 spores are straight, not curved as is usual in this genus. Three rots 

 of cacao pods have been described from the West Indies,'^ but this is 

 clearh^ different from either of them. It promises to be quite 

 destructive, especially during wet weather and where trees are 

 overshaded. 



PAPAW. 



The papaw {Carica 2'>apay(i) is a conspicuous tropical fruit and one 

 that seems to have some commercial possibilities. The tree comes 

 into l)earing when less than a year old and produces enormous crops. 

 The ripe fruits, which arc about the size and shape of a muskmclon, 

 have a very sweet, rich flesh that is liked hy many people. With 

 refrigeration the}^ could doubtless be transported succcssfulh' to north- 

 ern markets, where thev would in time win a recognized place. The 

 green fruits are boiled and used as a vegetable. Recently some inter- 

 est has been attracted to this crop by its use for the manufacture of a 



«The Fungoid Diseases of Cacao in the West Indies, Albert Howard, West 

 Indian Bui. 2 (1901), pp. 203-205. 



^For a further discussion of this fungus see Diplodia cacaoicohi, V. Henn, a para- 

 sitic fungus of sugar cane and cacao in the West Indies, Albert Howard, Ann. of 

 Bot., 15 (1901), pp. 683-701. 



c Jour. New York Bot. Gard., 4 (1903), p. 9. 



<^See Mr. Howard's paper on Cacao Diseases, referred t(j alwve. 



