EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 205 



Dr. E. A. Bessey ; 

 Dear Sir: 



I submit herewith the annual summary of the work carried on in plant 

 pathological investigations for the preceding year. 

 Adams 5 h. 



This project calling for inyestigation of certain organisms (Sphaer- 

 opsidales) from the point of view of life relations and with reference to 

 methods of identification by means of cultures and biological methods, 

 has been continued and shows some progress. 



Becoming interested in certain white forms which have developed in 

 the cultures of Phoma apiicola made by Mr. Bennett, we have isolated 

 these forms and have compared them with the single spore culture fix>m 

 which they have spning. A study of these variations as they have ap- 

 peared from time to time shows them to be attenuated forms without 

 power of fruit body formation. This material is being prepared for ])ub- 

 lication, in collaboration with Mr. Bennett. 



Similar work is being carried on with white strains of other fungi and 

 these will be subjected to various tests for identification anil comparison 

 with the original pure cultures. 



Work with animals has not advanced far beyond the position of last 

 year. It can be definitely stated that the fungus cultures used definitely 

 sensitize the laboratoiy animals. The reactions obtained are in part 

 specific for the organism and in part general reactions to the group. 

 The reactions of an anaphylactic ty])e seem too coarse for identification 

 work, and no success has been had with the hemolytic reactions. Further 

 work will concern itself Avith the complement fixation reaction. 



Hatch Fund Projects : 



Under the Hatch fund projects various minor lines of work have been 

 carried on. From this source is financed your work on cucumber and on 

 ginseng diseases. The chief work carried on under the Hatcli project is the 

 collection of data for the Tlant Disease Survey, which is annually summar- 

 ized by the Office of Plant Disease Survey in Washington. Diagnosis of 

 farmer's samples, determination of unknown and puzzling disease situa- 

 tions on minor crops, certain field investigations, all go to furnish the 

 body of data used in preparation of the report to the eentral ottice. 



^tate Fund Projects: 



Celer}^ Disease Investigations : 



Celery work in co-operation with Mr. Ray NelsMi Ims now progressed to 

 the point where full attention can be given the development of resistant 

 seed. The tests carried on at Kalamazoo last summer demonstrated with- 

 out question that the strain of seed selected for disease resistance has 

 this quality to a satisfactory degree. A row of this new strain subjected 

 to the worst disease conditions in years, grew normally and developed 

 a marketable crop of celery of good quality. In the row beside it, a 

 certain pure-line Golden Self Blancliing celery failed completoh'. Ad- 

 jacent rows of other types of Golden Self Blanching were badly diseaseil. 

 About 100 plants of this new variety wt've carried to seed protluction in 

 the greenhouse, and this seed is being tested fo:' general selection ]»ur- 

 poses. A report on the Yellows Disease of Celery is in preparation. 



