742 EXPERIMENT STATION KEOORD. 



for 45 uiimitos, with ;in iiiaiipreciable result on the smut; ami (3) grain soaked 

 for 6 hours and tlicu subjected to hot air at a temperature of from 50 to <»0° for 

 00 minutes, and tlien raised to from SO to 100° for 45 minutes, this tn.'atment 

 materially decreased the smut on the haiiey hut had no effect on the smut- 

 tiufx of the wheat. 



The objection to the warm-water treatment is that i1 aiijjrccialily lowers the 

 germinating power of the grain. The mosi favorable results obtained were by 

 soaking the grain for 6 hours in water at a lemiieratnre of from 20 to 25°, and 

 then in hot water at from 52 to 53° for 10 minutes. If the gi'ain is immediately 

 planted, the injury to its germinating jiower is materially lessened. It is sug- 

 gested that by tlie nse of a large drying aiiiini'atns. the hot oi' w:irm water 

 treatment can prol)ably be used Avithout injury to the viability of the grain. 



The prevalence of the leaf roll disease of the potato is discussed, and the 

 author claims that this disease results from the deteriorated (run out) condi- 

 tion of the seed tubers, due to a continued nse, year after year, of the same 

 strains in the same localities, and is accelerated by warm winters and exposure 

 to light, thus causing further exhausti(m of the seed potatoes by premature 

 sprouting in storage. Plants from such tubers will always develop the disease. 

 It. is also claimed that as the disease is an accompanying phenomenon of ex- 

 haustion, it is, therefore, not infectious but is transmitted on account of its 

 relation to the internal condition of the tubers. The results of a series of ex- 

 periments with seed from other regions are given, which show that seed tubers 

 from countries with a high altitude and cold winters are less susceptible to the 

 disease, and therefore produce a larger yield than home-raised seed. This was 

 especially noticeable in the potatoes from seed imported from Silesia. Farmers 

 in regions subject to this disease are advised to import seed potatoes from colder 

 countries where the disease does not exist. 



Diseases and injuries to cultivated plants in the provinces of Posen and 

 West Prussia for 1908, R. Schandkr (Mift. Kaiser Wil]i<lius Inst. TaiikIh: 

 Broitihrrc/, 2 (1910), No. 1, pp. 3-U36, pi. 1, fW-'^- -'i, maps G). — This is a comi»re- 

 hensive statement of fungus, insect, and weed pests of cereals, root crops, forage 

 plants, vegetables, orchard fruits, grapes, berries, forest trees, etc., and remedies 

 therefor, with tables, charts, etc.. showing the distribution of the diseases and 

 their relative amount of injury. 



Some diseases of cultivated plants, V. Ducomet (Ann. Ecole Nat. Agr. 

 Eenncs, 2 (1908), pp. 1-5J,; ahs. in Bot. CenthL, 111 (1909). No. 21, pp. 5JfO, 

 5-'f6). — The author discusses 5 parasites, of which the following are described 

 as new: Fusarium loliaceum on rye grass (Lotiiim itnlicinn); Hpluvrcthi pini- 

 folia, which forms smoky patches of mycelium on the needles of maritime pjne 

 (Finus tnarUima) ; and Vennicnlaria. varians, a sclerotium disease of potato 

 tubers, which is also found on the tomato and PhysaUs peruviana. 



A vermicular disease of the cork oak (Quercus suher) is attributed to a 

 nematode (Heterodera raiUcieola) as a primary cause, followed by invasion of 

 fungi into the galls thus formed. The OTdium of the oak so prevalent in 1908 

 and 1909 in France is discussed and the conclusion is reached that it is not 

 Miero-sptia^ra aini and i)robably not O'idiiim fjiie)Tiniim. 



The parasites of plants of Torino and vicinity, P. Voglino (Ann. R. Acead. 

 Agr. Torino, 51 (1909), pp. 1-38; ahs. in CentU. Bakt. [ete.^, 2. Aht., 26 (1910), 

 No. Jf~5, pp. 102, 103). — This is a list of the parasitic fungi common to garden 

 and field crops, with records of experiments as to the identity of several dis- 

 puted species. The author after describing as new 6 varieties and species of 

 fungi closes with an accqnnt of insect injuries to various plants, and a list of 

 G4 hosts for peach scale (Diaspis pentagona). 



