658 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The Bermuda lily disease, A. F. Woods ( IT. 8. Dept. Agr>, Division 



of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology Bui. 14, pp. 15, Jigs. 4).— A pre- 

 liminary report is given of investigations conducted to ascertain the 

 causes and means of prevention of the lily disease. This disease is 

 characterized by the spotting and distortion of the leaves and flowers 

 and Usually the stunting of the plant, and it quite seriously affects the 

 Varieties of Lilium longiflorum and L. harrisii and also attacks L, aura' 

 turn and L. candidum. The disease is said to be very prevalent in Ber- 

 muda and in the United States, where it frequently destroys 20 to 60 

 per cent of the crop. 



The principal causes of the disease are said to be worn-out soil, pre- 

 mature removal of flowers and flower stems, premature harvesting of 

 the bulbs, carelessness in the selection of stock for propagating pur- 

 poses, bad treatment during forcing, and the work of insects. The 

 investigations of the author seem to indicate that the disease is due to 

 a combination of these causes. Bulbs become weakened through 

 improper selection and propagation, and this weakening is further 

 increased by attacks of mites and certain fungi and bacteria. During 

 the forcing of the plants the bulbs may be weakened by overwatering or 

 by allowing the roots to become too dry and then overwatering, the 

 leaves of such plants usually being badly diseased. The spotting and 

 distortion of the foliage is often due to the direct attack of several 

 species of aphides and the young of the bulb mite, the injection of 

 water into the leaves in watering by syringing, and the presence of 

 water between the leaves of plants having soft foliage. 



The means suggested for prevention of the disease are necessarily 

 numerous. Among those apparently most important are proper culti- 

 vation, selection, and propagation so as to improve the stock; crop 

 rotations should be practiced in order to prevent the increase of mites 

 and injurious fungi ; the stems should be left on the bulbs to secure their 

 proper ripening, and care should be used in planting. All injured 

 bnlbs should be thrown out and planting should be done in well-drained 

 and well aerated soil. As far as possible attempts should be made to keep 

 down injurious insects from the start, and great care should be exercised 

 iu watering and ventilating. Chemical fertilizers are recommended in 

 place of barnyard or other manures. 



Sooty mold of the orange and its treatment, H. J. Webber ( IT. 

 S. Dept. Ayr., Division of Vegetable Physiology and Pathology Bui. 13, 

 pp. 44, pis. 5). — This bulletin is in continuation of investigations given 

 in Circular 15 and Bulletin 8 of this Division (E. S. R., 6, p. 737; 8, 

 p. 50). In the present bulletin the author has given rather extendedly 

 the life history of the fungi {Meliola penzigi and M. camellia') causing 

 the disease. The sooty mold is considered a saprophytic fungus, deriv- 

 ing its nourishment wholly from the honeydew secreted by various 

 insect pests which the fungus invariably follows. The most important 

 of these insects is the mealy wing or white fly {Aleyrodes citri). In 



