DISEASES OF PLANTS. 985 



The parasitism of some species of Basidiomycetes, Galzin ( Bui. Assoc. Vos- 

 gienne Hist. Nat., 1904, No. 6, pp. 81-S7; abs. in Bot. CentbL, 96 (1904), No. 51, p. 

 644)- — The author describes the alterations produced in timbers by the occurrence of 

 Pleurolus ostreatus, Claudopus variabilis, Dsedalea unicolor, Polyporus aduslus, 1'. versi- 

 color, /'. connatus, Trpex paradoxus, and Stereum cristulatum. 



The resistance of certain fungi to drying, Mmk. /. Gatin-Grozewska ( Compt. 

 Rend. Acad. Sci. [Paris'], 139 (1904), No. 24, pp. 1040 1042).— The author gives the 

 results of experiments with :i number of species of Polyporus, Amanita, and other 

 fleshy fungi, in which their resistance to (Irving is shown. The fleshy bodies of tin- 

 fungi were exposed to a temperature at 37° C. for from 8 to 10 days, after which the 

 fungi were moistened ami th«-ir vitality, as represented by the liberation of carbon 

 dioxid, was determined. In many instances the fungi respired mure than 50 per 

 cent as much carbon dioxid in 1 hour as was given off by the same bodies before 

 drying. 



Diseases of economic tropical plants, F. Noack (Ztschr. Pflanzenkrank., 14 

 (1904). No. 5, pp. 266-281). -Compiled descriptive notes are given on a number of 

 the more common diseases to which economic plants are subject in the Tropics. 

 The information is largely drawn from publications issued in Brazil, Portugal, 

 France, Java, and Germany. After treating of frost injuries in general, the author 

 briefly summarizes the fungi and some of the more injurious insects attacking coffee, 

 cacao, citrus fruits, guavas, olives, cotton, tobacco, bananas, vanilla, sugar cane, 

 sorghum, etc. 



Preliminary experiments with vapor treatments for the prevention of the 

 stinking smut of wheat, W. A. Wheeler (South Dakota Sta. Bui. 89, pp. 19, 

 jig. 1). — On account of the unsatisfactory nature of the treatments hitherto recom- 

 mended for the prevention of smut, the author has investigated the possibility of 

 treating seed grain with various gases and vapors, and in the experiments reported 

 ammonia, formaldehyde, chloroform, carbon bisulphid, and Ozonet Gas Powder 

 were tested. A form of apparatus was devised which consisted of a hand blower, a 

 cylinder containing the grain, a vessel containing the fungicide, and tubes for the 

 proper connection. By means of the blower the fungicide was vaporized and passed 

 through the seed grain. The experiments were performed with seed wheat from 

 the crop of 1903, which was very badly infected with smut. 



The results of different lengths of treatment are summarized, from which it 

 appears that when properly treated the amount of disease in the subsequent crop 

 may he greatly reduced or, in the case of some of the experiments with formaldehyde 

 vapor, entirely eliminated. The results with the other treatments were less satis- 

 factory. 



The effect of this treatment on the germination of wheat was investigated, and the 

 subjection of the grain to vapors of the fungicide for from 10 minutes to 1 hour was 

 without injury to the seed. 



Inoculation experiments with ergots, li. Stager (Bot. Ztg., 1. Abt., 01 {1903), 

 No. 6-7, />/>. 111-158; al,s. in Ztschr. Pflanzenkrank., 14 (1904), No. <;, pp. 354-356).— 

 A list is given of the reputed host plants of the different species of Claviceps and 

 summaries are presented showing the results of inoculation experiments with C. pur- 

 purea from rye, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Glyceria fluiians, perennial rye grass, and 

 Brachypodium sylvaticum, and of C. microcephala from Molinia carulea, Phragmites 

 communis, etc. A large number of inoculations made showed that there was a 

 specialization of the fungi to special hosts or at least to species which are of rather 

 close morphological relationship. They also indicated the existence of biological 

 races among some of the species of grasses. 



Some nematode diseases of cereals, II. Xii.ssox-Ehle (Sveriges Utsadexfi'ir. 

 Tidskr., IS (1903), Nos. 1-2, pp. 34-66, figs. 4; 4, pp. 179-196, figs. 8; <il,.<. in Bot. 

 CentbL, 96 (1904), No. 49, pp. 593-595) . —Descriptions are given of diseases of cereals 



