348 EXPERIMENT STATION EECORD. 



On the distribution of fungus diseases of plants in Bussia during 1909, 

 A. A. lACHEVSKiM {Ezheg. Dept. ZemJ. [Russki], 30 (190O), pp. 57Jf-G01, pis. 2, 

 fig. 1). — The distribution is given of the common diseases of field, forest, 

 orchard, and garden crops. 



Root diseases caused by Armillaria niellea, W. H. Lawrence {Better Fruit, 

 5 (1911), No. 10, pp. Jfl-^-'f, figs. 5). — The author figures and describes the 

 characteristics of the fungus, and gives its prevalence and the damage done by 

 it in the Pugefc Sound country. It was found infesting and Ivilling the apple, 

 plum, cherry, gooseberry, prime, currant, blackberry, raspberry, and logan- 

 berry. 



Fungus diseases of ground nuts in the West Indies, F. W. South ( West 

 Indian Bui, 11 (1911), No. 3, pp. 157-160).— The author describes 3 fungus 

 diseases of ground nutfe, 2 attacking the leaves, viz, Uredo arachidis and 

 Cercospora personata, and an unidentified root fungus. 



The rust fungus {U. arachidis) is of general distribution, both on local and 

 imported varieties, and the damage done by it varies on the different islands. 

 On some of the islands spraying with Bordeaux mixture was said to be 

 effective in checking the rust, while on other islands neither Bordeaux mixture 

 nor the application of a lime-sulphur mixture appreciably checked the disease. 



The I'oot disease occurs on the ground nuts in Barbados, Granada, Dominica, 

 St. Kitts, and Nevis. Attacked plants wilt rapidly and in 2 days from the 

 first wilting of the leaves are completely dead. The fungus kills the roots and 

 then spreads to the collar, base of the stem, and the surface of the nuts, but 

 does not appear to penetrate the nuts themselves, since diseased nuts when 

 disinfected with corrosive sublimate solution produce healthy plants. The 

 fungus when young forms a cobweb-like covering over the diseased portions. 

 The hyphfs are colorless and provided with occasional clamp connections. As 

 they grow older, yellow to brown filaments arise in a characteristic manner. 

 No fructifications have been found, but numerous spherical, smooth, brown 

 sclerotia 1 mm. in diameter frequently occur. 



The fungus has been found attacking Aroids, Antirrhinums, some Composita?, 

 eggplants, tomatoes, seedling lime trees, and alfalfa. No certain remedy is 

 known for successfully disinfecting the ground when it is once thoroughly 

 infected, but liming the soil and permitting it to lie fallow for several months 

 is suggested as a possible remedy. Immersion for 5 minutes in 1 : 1,000 cor- 

 rosive sublimate is advised for disinfecting the diseased nuts intended for seed. 



Rice disease caused by TJstilaginoidella graniinicola, E. Essed (Ann. Bot. 

 [Londo7i], 25 (1911), No. 9S, pp. 367, 36S, pi. 1). — This disease first appears on 

 the rice leaves and sometimes on the sheaths as dark brown, intercostal spots 

 with yellowish margins. A species of Pauicum is also attacked by the same 

 organism. 



An examination of the diseased areas showed the presence of a fungus, for 

 which the name of U. graniinicola is proposed. 



Spongospora subterranea, T. G. B. Osborn (Ann. Bot. [London's, 25 (1911), 

 No. 98, pp. S27-3Jtl, pi. 1). — The author gives in detail the results of his investi- 

 gations, a preliminary account of which has been previously noted (E. S. R., 

 24, p. 742), of the life cycle of this potato scab, including cytological studies 

 of its vegetative and reproductive phases and its effects upon the host plant. 



It is claimed that Spongospora belongs to the Plasmodiophoracete, which 

 group has many points of relationship to the Mycetozoa, differing chiefly in the 

 parasitic habit, in the method of division of the vegetative nuclei, and in the 

 less constant presence of the flagellum on spore germination. 



Oospores of potato blight, G. P. Clinton (Science, n. ser., S3 (1911), No. 

 854, PP- 74^-7-^7). — The author claims to have produced perfect oogouia, anthe- 



