Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station 217 



Station, and were planted on the Sulphur Spring Valley dry farm near 

 Cochise. Later jNlr. Brown sent some diseased bean seed. The diseased 

 seeds were planted in the middle of the variety block so that if the 

 disease could develop in this climate it would have a good chance. 



Professor J. G. Brown of the University made examinations of 

 suspected material during the growing season and reported that he 

 found an organism which looked like the anthracnose ( Collet otrichum 

 Lindcmuthianum) , but no spores could be developed. After the crop 

 was harvested Professor Brown was unable to obtain any cultures from 

 the beans produced from the infected seed. 



Of the varieties grown at Cochise all but the very late ones 

 matured a fair crop of seed, showing that bean seed can be grown here 

 if there is any superior quality in seed so grown. 



storage of sweet potatoes 



Since the sweet potato is an important garden crop in Arizona, 

 the writer concluded that a study of methods of storage suited to Ari- 

 zona conditions would be beneficial to the truck farmer. In one trial 

 the potatoes were picked in the ordinary way, carried in sacks to the 

 barn, and were spread in thin layers between straw. In the other trial 

 only sound potatoes were chosen for storage. These were placed in 

 crates in a room heated with an oil heater, and then piled between layers 

 of straw as were the first lot. A report on the percent which keeps will 

 be made in the spring. 



KEEPING EGGPLANT 



Although the eggplant is a vegetable of minor importance, the 

 presence of summer vegetables on our tables in the winter season is 

 generally welcome. The deterioration of the eggplant is due largely to 

 evaporation from the skin. Noting this fact the writer October 25 

 dipped eight eggplants in melted parafiin, and hung them up by the 

 stem. Three of the eight eggplants decayed from a brown rot. The 

 other five were in good condition December 16 when one of the them 

 was cooked in the ordinary way, the quality being as good as one direct 

 from the vine. The other four are at this late, January 25, apparently 

 in excellent condition. It may be that the rotting of the fruits can be 

 prevented by disinfecting the surface before coating with paraffin. No 

 rot developed which had not started within the first two weeks. The 

 method appears to be a practicable one for home use. 



S. B. Johnson, 

 Assistant Horticulturist. 



