746 EXPEKIMENT STATION RECORD.^ 



by well-known rubber-producing trees, tlie reports having nearly all been made 

 at the request of the governmeuts of the British Colonies concerned and being 

 based upon investigations and analyses conducted in the Scientific and Tech- 

 nical Department of the Imperial Institute. A summary of reports relating 

 to the utilization of the oil of the seeds of the Para rubber tree as a substitute 

 for linseed oil and of the meal as a feeding stuff for cattle is appended. 



DISEASES OF PLANTS. 



The principal plant diseases in 1906, J. L. Sheldon {West Virginia Sta. 



Rpt. isan Jose Scale, etc., 1905-6, pp. 29-39, pJ. 1). — Lists are given of some of 

 the principal plant diseases observed, the arrangement being alphabetical by 

 host plants. 



The injury due to smut fungi, I, D. Hegyi (Kis6rlet. Kozlem., Iff (1911), 

 No. 5, pp. 728-732). — The author gives in Hungarian the findings from his 

 investigations on the loss to the wheat crop through stinking smut. Injuries 

 are divided in this report into evident and hidden, the former afCecting the ears 

 of the maturer plants and the latter the younger plants. 



The injuries of these 2 sorts were found to be variable both as to their abso- 

 lute quantity and their ratio. One lot gave percentages of 34.35 and 28.27, 

 respectively, or a total of 62.62 per cent of plants injured ; a second gave only 

 8.95 and 15.54 per cent, respectively, or a total of 24.49 per cent. 



On the chemistry of the higher fungi. — VIII, Stinking smut of wheat 

 (Tilletia levis and T. tritici), J. Zellner (Monatsch. Chem., 32 {1911), No. 10, 

 pp. 1065-107 Jj). — In continuance of former reports (see page 750), this com- 

 munication gives the results of a comparative examination of the chemical 

 composition of T. levis and T. tritici. 



These at first sight are in close agreement, although differences appear. It 

 would be possible, it is claimed, to distinguish between the spores of the 2 

 species by chemical means alone. The author, therefore, suggests the employ- 

 ment of chemical means in separation of species where other methods are not 

 practicable. 



Experiments with smut preventives, K. Soutter {Queensland Agr. Jour., 

 28 {1912), No. 1, pp. 1-5). — A report is given on experiments on the treating 

 of wheat for the prevention of stinking smut. The grain was infected by 

 breaking the smut balls over the wheat .and thoroughly mixing, after which it 

 was treated and sown. As treatments the author tested solutions of car- 

 bolized wheat protector, formalin, sheep dip, copper sulphate, copper sulphate 

 and lime, brine, and arsenic. 



Of the lots treated with carbolized wheat protector, formalin, and arsenic 

 100 per cent was clean, as compared with 42 per cent for the control plat. The 

 use of brine was without any appreciable effect, as was also the sheep dip. 



The author states that the results, which are based on a single year's ex- 

 periments, show little except that treatment with copper sulphate and copper 

 sulphate and lime were of value, and indicate the desirability of continuing 

 the experiments. 



Root and culm infections of wheat by soil fungi in North Dakota, T. D. 

 Beckwitii (Phytopathology, 1 (1911), No. 6, pp. 169-176).— In continuation of 

 a preliminary report (E. S. R., 23, p. 451), the author gives an account of 

 investigations conducted at the North Dakota Station on the infection of wheat 

 by various fungi from the soil. This subject has been under investigation since 

 1907 and has included quantitative analyses made from soil solutions, as well 

 as studies of the culm, roots, etc. 



