;!j)i)rovt'(l Dcccinln'r -J!). 1S8S. Thv cliciuicul work of (he Station is 

 done l).v spcci:!! I'oiitract at i\u- Uni\ersity of (ioora-ia; but if the 

 ])r('si>nt plans aiv carrioJ out it will be removed to Gi'iffin as soon as 

 laboratories can be prepared. The connection of the station with the 

 Uiiixersiiy is constiMictively preserved by allowing that institution a 

 minority representation in the governing board. The Station farm 

 " comprises 130 acres of genth^ rolling red and gra}^ soil, the latter 

 predominating, underlaid by strong, red clay. It is a typical middle 

 (ieoi-gia farm, rathei- l)elow than above the average in fertility." 



ILJ^INOIS. 



Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Illinois. 



Drpartmput of the University of Illinois. 



Loeatiiiii. ( "Inuiip.ii.mi. Director. Seliiii II. Peabody, I'll. I)., LL. D. 



BULLETIN No. G, AUGUST, 1889. 

 A nA( TEKIAL DISEASE OF CORX, T. J. BuRRILL, Ph. D. (pp. 1()5- 



175). — The following statements are taken from the description of 

 the disease as given in the bulletin. Young diseased plants, " besides 

 l)eing smaller than healthy ones, are uniformly yellowish in color, 

 the lowest leaves showing worst." In several cases at least one-half 

 the roots — always the lowest — are injured and usually dead. The 

 bottom part of the stalk is likcAvise affected, brownish spots appearing 

 on its surface. ** Sometimes masses of semitransparent, rather firm, 

 gelatinous material are found u])on these external corrosions." After 

 inidsummer the leaf-sheaths become spotted, especially on their inner 

 side, and are more or less smeared with the gelatinous substance 

 >pread in a thin coat or layer. " Finally the ears are, at least occa- 

 fcionally. affected. Externally the appearance of the outer husks is 

 like that of the diseased leaf-sheaths. * * * Internally, in the 

 worst stage, the whole ear is reduced to a moist state of corru])tion, 

 though not ill-scented."' 



The disease was first inA-estigated by the author in 1882. It was 

 then sii])posed to be due to chinch-biigs, which, however, together with 

 the gelatinous substance on the leaf-sheaths, were found to be in- 

 fested Avitli bacteria. In 1887 the bacteria were identified on diseased 

 corn stalks Avhich had not been attacked by chinch-bugs ; but, as inocu- 

 lations made in healthy corn failed, the facts were not published. In 

 3 888 bacteria were again found to be present in diseased stalks. 

 Early in 1889 attention was once more called to the matter by Dr. 

 liillings. as recorded in the bulletins of the Nebraska Station.* In 

 August of that year " cultures and inoculations upon growing corn " 

 were undertaken by the author, " and this time with unmistakable 

 results. The bacteria, in pure cultures, were applied to the inner sur- 

 face of the leaf-sheaths, without puncture, and the watery-brown 



* See page 124 of Experiment Station Record, Vol. I, No. 3. 

 18492— No. 4—05 m 3 



