256 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



and Massel powder were tested for the prevention of smuts of these crops. The 

 results obtained are decidedly in favor of the formalin treatment. 



Test of smut preventives for wheat, S. A. Bedford {Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 

 1900, p. 343). — A brief report is given in which copper sulphate, formalin, and Mas- 

 sel powder were tested for preventing the smut on Red Fife wheat. The treatment 

 in all cases practically prevented the occurrence of smut, while the plats in which 

 the seed had not been treated gave more than 10 per cent smutted heads. 



Test of smut preventives for oats and barley, S. A. Bedford ( Canada Expt. 

 Farms Rpts. 1900, pp. 34S-350). — Formalin and Massel powder as means for the pre- 

 vention of the smut of oats and barley were tested, and in the case of the oats the 

 report shows that the Massel powder did not possess much value as a preventive, 

 while formalin treatments practically prevented all smut. In the experiments with 

 barley the best results were obtained where the seed had been soaked for 5 to 15 

 minutes in a solution of 4| oz. formalin to 10 gal. of water. 



Test of copper sulphate as a preventive of smut in wheat, A. Mackay {Can- 

 ada Expt. Farms Rpts. 1900, p. 394) • — A brief account is given of experiments with 

 copper sulphate as a preventive of smut in spring wheat, in which seed soaked for 15 

 minutes gave a crop of wheat free from smut. 



Test of formalin and Massel powder for the prevention of smut in oats and 

 barley, A. Mackay {Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 1900, jip. 397-399). — The efficiency 

 of both these fungicides for the prevention of smut of oats and barley is shown. The 

 formalin treatment, in which the seed is soaked for 1 hour, gave the best results. 



Formalin and Massel powder as preventives for smut, T. A. Siiarpe ( Canada 

 Expt. Farms Rpts. 1900, pp. 454, 455). — In the experiments reported none of the 

 treatments seemed to be efficient in preventing the occurrence of smut to any appre- 

 ciable degree. 



Experiments with Bordeaux mixture as a preventive of potato rot, W. S. 

 Blair {Canada Expt. Farms Rpts. 1900, pp. 334, 335). — A brief report is given of 

 spraying experiments with Bordeaux mixture on 9 varieties of potatoes, which were 

 given 4 applications of the fungicide. The unsprayed plants at the end of the season 

 were badly blighted, while the sprayed ones remained green and were practically 

 free from rot. With a single exception, the yield from the sprayed plats of all vari- 

 eties was in excess of that from the unsprayed. . • 



Diseases of sugar cane, Z. Kamerling and H. Suringar {Gecombin. Mededi Pro- 

 ef stats. Oost- en West Java. Cost Java, 3. ser., 1900, No. 22; ^Yest Java, 1900, No. 50; 

 reprinted jrovn, Arch. Java Suikerind., 1900, No. 24, pp. 28). — The authors describe 

 unsatisfactory growth and premature death of sugar cane as a result of the root rot, 

 susceptibility of varieties to the disease, effect of fertilizing and culture on the root 

 rot, and a bacterial disease of sugar cane. 



The first symptom of root disease in the sugar cane is the unsatisfactory growth 

 due to the inadequate water supply, which is interfered with by reason of the decay 

 of the roots. New roots are formed above the diseased ones, but these in turn soon 

 become affected until finally the root system is reduced to a dense mat in aljout 6 cm. 

 of surface soil. During the first severe drought the plants wilt, and soon the dead 

 leaves have the grayish-brown appearance characteristic of this disease. If diseased 

 plants are removed to healthy soil the new roots formed among the decaying ones 

 remain healthy, seeming to show that the disease is caused by unfavorable soil con- 

 ditions. Inoculation experiments with juice from diseased canes failed to give results, 

 but it was observed that canes into which distilled water had been injected made a 

 better growth than those receiving either healthy or diseased juice. 



The effects of wilting and premature death may be partly overcome by flooding 

 the fields as soon as the presence of the disease is noticed. Cutting off the leaves to 

 prevent evaporation is also practiced. Plants that die prematurely should be cut at 

 once in order to save what juice there is. The juice is easily worked, but is small in 



