Fungous Flora of the Soil 427 



The first three samples, A, B, C, were taken in July, August, and Septem- 

 ber from an oats field near the Agricultural College at Ithaca. When the 

 first sample was taken, the oats were nearly ripe. When the second was 

 taken, the oats had been harvested. This field was considered worn out 

 in the early seventies ; since that time it has grown a crop every year. 

 The rotation practiced has been wheat, corn, and oats; the last-named 

 crop was grown in 19 10. The field has received no coating of manure 

 since 1874. The soil is a Dunkirk clay loam. 



The sample for D isolation (October) was taken from a barrel of soil 

 shipped from East Hampton, Long Island. The soil was a sandy loam 

 and in 19 10 had grown a crop of potatoes. The harvest had been small; 

 probably a conservative estimate would be fifty per cent of the normal. 

 The prevalent diseases were those caused by Oospora scabies Thaxter, 

 Corticium vagum B. & C. var. Solani Burt, and Fusaruim oxysporum 

 Schlecht. Further history pertaining to this soil was not obtained, except 

 the fact that the field has been under cultivation for many years. 



Samples E, F, G, H, and I (November, December, 19 10; January, 

 February, and March, 191 1) were taken from the plant-breeding experi- 

 mental garden east of the college. The land has borne crops constantly 

 since the early seventies and probably has been under cultivation for the 

 major part of one hundred years. The soil in that part of the garden 

 where the samples were taken is a Genesee silt loam. The crop grown 

 in 1 9 10 was peppers. 



Samples J, K, L, M, N, and O (May to September, 191 1) were taken 

 from a potato field near Atlanta, N. Y. The soil is probably a Volusia 

 gravelly sandy loam. The field has been under cultivation constantly 

 for many years. Among the crops grown have been potatoes, clover, and 

 oats. The crop in 191 1 was potatoes. 



Toward the latter part of the summer, samples were taken both from a 

 part of a field to which sulfur had been applied and from a part that had 

 been left untreated serving as a check in some other experimental work. 

 The purpose of making isolations from these samples was to find out if 

 sulfur, three months after application, had changed in any way the 

 fungous flora of the soil. The results proved to be negative. 



Methods of taking soil samples 



Samples A, B, C, D, and E were obtained after the same manner. The 

 instrument for taking the samples consisted of an iron tube, one inch in 

 diameter and about eight inches long, threaded at both ends. The threads 

 on the one end served for fastening the tube to a rod (used as a handle 

 similar to that of a soil auger) by a reducing coupling. This end of the 

 tube was plugged with cotton. The threads on the other end served for 



