diseasp:s of plants. 361 



treated seed. The lots from seed treated with formaldehyde averaged a})out as free 

 from scab as those treated witli corrosive sublimate. 



Notes on the sugar-cane disease of the West Indies, W. T. Tiiiselton-Dyer 

 {Ann. BoL, 14 {1900), No. 56, pp. 609-616).— The author reviews the different phases 

 of the life history of the fungus causing the more destructive cane diseases in the 

 West Indies. Two forms are recognized as especially destructive, the rind disease 

 and root rot. The first affects the canes, and its presence is indicated by dark red 

 or arown marks toward the middle or base of the cane. These red splotches spread 

 rapidly, and later black specks make their appearance on the cane between the 

 joints, and finally the cane shrivels and dries up. The fungus bursts through the 

 epidermis in the form of black filaments, an inch an a half or less in length. The 

 fungus causing this disease has l)een given various names, Trkliospltivria mcchari being 

 the name adopted by the author. This fungus has been described as having several 

 distinct phases. The root disease is characterized by the dwarfed appearance of the 

 canes. The plant puts out fresh basal shoots, but ultimately the growth is arrested 

 and no cane formed. If the plants be dug up the roots are nearly all dead, and those 

 still living are marked with small red spots. Investigations are reported which show 

 that the root disease and rind disease are really due to the same cause, and the fun- 

 gus described under the name of CoUetntrichum falcatum is really a phase of the poly- 

 morphic fungus causing the two diseases. A healthy seedling sugar cane was 

 inoculated with spores taken from diseased roots, and at the end of 20 days devel- 

 oped the rind disease phase of the fungus. From this fact it is urged that great pre- 

 caution should be taken to avoid planting toi^s which are possibly affected by the 

 rind disease. 



Concerning the mosaic disease of tobacco, Iwanoski [C'enthl. Bakt. u. Par., -2. 

 AlA., 7 {1901), Xo. 4, p. US). — A j)reliminary note is given on investigations by the 

 author which led him to l)elieve that the mosaic disease of tobacco is of bacterial 

 origin. He claims to have isolated a small short bacillus which occurs in great 

 numbers in the palisade parenchyma, which he believes is the specific cause of the 

 disease. His complete investigations are to be published later. 



Investigations on the stinking smut of wheat, H. L. Bolley {North Dakota 

 Sia. apt. 1900, pp. 3-2-38). — In continuation of investigations previously reported 

 (E. S. R., 12, p. 255), the author studied the influence of various factors on the stinking 

 smut {Tilletia fcetens) of wheat. The question of the wintering of smut in the ground 

 was studied by means of plats on which a large crop of smutty grain was raised in 

 1899. Part of the grain was removed in the usual manner, and on the other half of 

 the plats the grain was allowed to fall to the ground without being harvested. Prior 

 to seeding, the ground was plowed or disked and seed treated in various ways were 

 sown. From the results of his experiments it seems apparent that little difference 

 in the amount of smut was observed in the portions of the plats where the grain 

 had been removed or where it had been plowed under, and there was a small 

 amount of smut developed on all the plats. Investigations showed that there was 

 an abundance of spores in the soil where the grain had been allowed to stand, and 

 it was demonstrated that the smut spores retained their vitality for at least 2 years 

 in wheat stored in the ordinary manner. 



The influence of smut ujwn the doughing of flour and liread making was investi- 

 gated, known amounts of smut being added to the fiour before making the bread. 

 The results show that fiour containing snuit spores did not act differently from that 

 containing no smut. The smut spores retained their normal color-, and there was 

 no evidence of its being disseminated to the starch or bread. The only effect of 

 smut spores in flour and bread is due to the color which they impart in mass. 



The effects of soil and weather conditions were also investigated, the season being 

 one of almost complete drought. As previously reported (US. R., 11, p. 361), it 

 was again demonstrated that the greatest amount of smut was produced when the 



