206 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Potato Disease Investigations: 



Investigation of the Black Leg Disease of Potato has been continued 

 by J. E. Kotila. Work in the field at Chatham, Michigan, was badly 

 hampered by the severe drought, and over-wintering experiments gave no 

 results because of the failure of the disease to develop in the fields at all. 

 Inoculation work under conditions where plants were kept moist were 

 successful. Study in the laboratory has taken into consideration the 

 relation of the Black Leg organism to Bacillus carotovorus and interest- 

 ing relations have been discovered. Attenuation of the Black Leg organ- 

 ism has also been accomplished. 



In co-operation with the Department of Entomolog}^, Mr. Kotila has 

 carried on for some years study of the Potato Leaf Hopper. Results of 

 this investigation have been prepared as a special bulletin and this is 

 now in press. 



Seed treatment work has been carried on at Chatham and at East 

 Lansing. Especial attention has been given to the utilization of sulphur 

 as a means of scab control. At present, the results have not been favor- 

 able to this chemical for use with calcareous soils. 



Cereal Disease Investigations: 



Investigation of various methods of control of Stinking Smut has 

 been continued. The feasibility of certain dust treatments recommended 

 by Australian workers has been extensively tested with w"inter wheat 

 and it has been found that the dust treatments even with wheat that was 

 excessively smutty have given sharp reduction of smut. The method 

 when tested with oats has not given such good control of smut and is 

 not recommended for this grain. Trials by county men have indicated 

 poor results with oats. It would seem that the hull of oats interferes 

 with complete dusting. 



Bean Disease Investigations : 



This Avork has been carried out by Mr. Nelson and has centered on 

 investigations of the Mosaic disease of beans. The study so far has 

 given basis for accurate diagnosis of Mosaic symptonivs, and differentia- 

 tion of the disease from other types of leaf mottling and curling. Tlie 

 disease has been transferred from diseased plants by agency of the apliid, 

 Macrosiphon solanifolii. Account of these tests has been submitted for 

 publication to Science. 



Transportational Disease Investigations : 



Studies of the causes of blemish-production in various fruits and vege- 

 tables have been carried on largel^^ by Mr. Nelson. As a result of a 

 series of studies upon grapefruit, orange, apple, cabbage, lettuce and 

 potatoes, some light has been thrown on the nature of the breakdown 

 which leads to blemish formation. In general it may be said that the 

 breakdown is of the nature of asphyxiation and interesting I'esults have 

 been obtained by the use of various gases in storage chambers at various 

 temperatures. A preliminary notice of this work has appeared and work 

 so far completed will be presented in a series of articles. Oue of those 

 dealing with breakdown in cabbage is now in preparation. 



