The Anthracnose Disease of the Raspberry 159 



HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE DISEASE 



The anthracnose disease is possibly of as widespread distribution as 

 the raspberry itself. Massee (1907) states that it occurs in Europe, 

 America, and Australia but has been found more commonly on the last 

 two continents. The disease was first reported in Italy, by Spegazzini 

 (1879), on the leaves of the cloudberry (Rubus chamaemorus) . The follow- 

 ing year it was brought to the attention of Burrill (1882) in America, 

 where in certain localities it was causing serious losses to the black rasp- 

 berry crop. 



It is thus difficult to determine whether anthracnose is of American 

 or European origin. The disease has been more destructive in America, 

 doubtless due to the fact that the most susceptible species of the genus 

 Rubus are under cultivation here. Cooke (1906) even expresses doubt 

 that the disease is to be found in England, and Sorauer (1908) does not 

 mention its occurrence in Germany. On the other hand, the disease 

 spread rapidly in America, and ten years after it was first noticed, in 

 Italy, Scribner (1888) reports it as being widespread and destructive 

 in the United States. Deamess collected diseased material in Canada 

 in 1 89 1 and contributed it to the exsiccati of Seymour and Earle's 

 Economic Fungi. A few years later McAlpine (1897) reported it from 

 Australia. 



ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE 



It is difficult to estimate the losses caused by anthracnose, since the 

 disease varies greatly with climatic conditions and the host plant is often 

 subject to less striking diseases which are nevertheless of considerable 

 importance. Such diseases as yellows and crown gall are frequently 

 overlooked and their injury to the plant attributed to anthracnose when 

 that is present. No doubt the estimates of losses due to anthracnose 

 have been in some cases too high, although it is one of the most serious 

 diseases of the raspberry. For these reasons, and from the fact that the 

 disease affects the plant only indirectly, little data are available showing 

 the percentage of loss caused by anthracnose. A few investigators, 

 however, have made estimates which may be mentioned here. 



Burrill (1882) cites an instance of a raspberry plantation ordinarily 

 yielding a profit of $400 per year, which profit was reduced to such an 

 extent by one attack of anthracnose that expenses were scarcely met. 

 Scribner (1888) estimates the losses in southern Missouri on the blackcap 

 raspberry as being from ten to twelve per cent of the entire crop. The 

 disease is reported by Orton and Ames (1908) to have injured sixty-three 

 per cent of the raspberry crop in Nebraska, fifty per cent in Wisconsin, 

 and even a greater percentage in Illinois. Lawrence (19 10) cites instances 



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