EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 303 



City last December. An abstract of this article is included in this re- 

 port. (Supplement 4). 



Celery Work: 



The investigation of celery diseases has been continued. The stunting 

 disease, for which control measures were planned last year, became so 

 serious as indicated in Mr. Levin's report, that steaming the soil as a 

 clean-up measure became out of the question. A survey was made of the 

 various marshes about Kalamazoo and the present extent of the disease 

 was noted. The trouble is in nearly every field about the city. Floods 

 and wet ground, along with exchange of plants, have been the chief 

 causes of this wide transfer. Wet ground in July and August of 1915 

 especially favored the transfer of the disease by tracking, cultivation, 

 etc. It is needless to say that the present plan of buying plants from 

 various localities is especially dangerous because of soil diseases. Each 

 grower should grow his oavu seed on clean ground. 



The work on the Phoma disease of celery was continued and a report 

 of the work was made at the annual meeting of the Botanical Society 

 of America. An abstract of this article is included in the report, (Sup- 

 plement 5). 



It was considered advisable from financial considerations to lay to 

 one side the experimental work on celery diseases during the fall and 

 winter months. Accordingly some questions have not been investigated 

 thoroughly. It is advisable that this project continue. 



The division is cramped for room not only in the laboratory but also 

 in the greenhouse. The growing needs of our work should be recognized 

 in the building program of the College. 



Respectfully, 



G. H. COONS, 

 Research Associate, Plant Pathology. 



PLANT PATHOLOGY. 



Dr. E. A. Bessey, College: 



Dear Doctor Bessey : — I submit herewith at your request a report upon 

 the work done during the i3ast year. This work has been carried on en- 

 tirely under the state fund of the Experiment Station. 



The work has been, as previously, principally upon control measures 

 for the bean Anthracnose and bean Blight. The preliminary treatments 

 of diseased bean seed with calcium hypochlorite solution gave seemingly 

 promising results. Subsequent tests failed to prove the value of this 

 reagent in controlling these diseases. 



On the demonstration plats in fourteen counties where Idaho grown 

 Michigan beans were grown in comparison to ordinary seed, the results 

 were very satisfactory. It was found that the Idaho grown Michigan 

 seed did not suffer in the least from being grown in the western state for 

 one season. These beans produced on the average more than the ordi- 

 nary seed produced. The crop from these beans was also less afi'ected 

 with Blight than the crop from ordinary seed. 



