DISEASES OF PLANTS. "551 



attacked by Razoumofskya tsugensis. Echinodontium tinctoriuni is also said to 

 be abundant on this species of tree, and a collection of it was made from the 

 Engelmann spruce. 



Notes on the chestnut bark disease, J. T. Rogers and G. F. Gravatt (Phyto- 

 pathology, 5 (1915), No. 1, pp. 45--^7).— Observations are reported on the infec- 

 tion of the chinquapin in Virginia by the chestnut bark fungus (Endothla 

 parasitica). Inoculation experiments indicate that the chinquapin is no more 

 resistant to the girdling growth of the blight fungus than is the chestnut. 

 However, as the former is not so subject to insect and other injuries as is the 

 chestnut, this is considered the reason for its freedom from disease in the field. 



Notes are given of observations of the spread of the chestnut bark disease 

 over a small area, observations having been made on a plat containing 140 

 chestnut trees in May, 1913, September, 1913, and May, 1914. The average 

 rate of diameter growth of the disease cankers was found to be 6.35 in. for the 

 year. At this rate of growth a number of years would be required for the 

 girdling of a large tree by a single canker. 



Chestnut blight in Nebraska, R. G. Pierce (Phytopathology, 5 (1915), No. 1, 

 p. 74). — The author reports having observed the chestnut bark fungus (Endothia 

 parasitica) at two places in Nebraska in 1914. It was on chestnut trees that 

 had been shipped to nurseries from the East. 



Notes on chestnut fruits infected with the chestnut blight fungus, Caro- 

 line RuMBOLD (Phytopathology, 5 (1915), No. 1, pp. 64, 65). — In order to test 

 the possible infection of chestnut burs and nuts the author collected from a 

 blight-infected orchard fresh, sound nuts and burs containing nuts. These were 

 fumigated and placed in paper bags, kept in a warm room, and later examined. 



More than one-third of the nuts were found infected, those remaining in the 

 burs being especially attacked. The fungus was found to have grown from the 

 infected bur through the shell at the base of the nut, where there is close con- 

 nection between the two and where the hard shell of the nut matures last. 



From the comparative ease with which the nuts and burs were infected the 

 author thinks it probable that an occasional infected chestnut might be collected 

 at harvest time, and that this would be a possible means of the dissemination of 

 the disease, as suggested by Collins (E. S. R., 30, p. 543). 



Notes on E-hizoctonia, C. Hartley and S. C. Brunee (Phytopathology, 5 

 (1915), No. 1, pp. 73, 74)- — The authors report having found Rhizoctonia very 

 commonly present in damped-off pine seedlings, and this is believed to be the 

 chief cause of the loss in beds of Pinus ponderosa. The parasite spreads for 

 several weeks after germination of the pines and appears to produce larger 

 single patches of dead seedlings than any other damping-off organism observed 

 in western nurseries, and also to attack seedlings too old to be killed by Pythium 

 debaryamim or Fusarium moniliforme. 



Observations were made on a number of weeds that come up in areas where 

 the pine seedlings have been killed by the fungus, and an examination of the 

 soil showed that Rhizoctonia is very commonly present in groups of Amhrosia, 

 psilostachya. On account of the perennial habit of this ragweed it is considered 

 an ideal host for the parasitic strains of Rhizoctonia to winter over on. 



Observations on Hirneola auricula-judae, M. J. Le Gog (Proc. Cambridge 

 Phil. Soc, 17 (1913), No. 3, pp. 225-228) .—The Jew's ear fungus is said to be 

 of very wide distribution and of frequent occurrence in the neighborhood of 

 Cambridge, England, where it is found on elder bushes both living and dead; 

 also on dead portions of elm in moist places. 



Cultures were made and studied. Penetration of wood by the fungus is very 

 rapid, its path at first being the vessels and tracheids, with penetration through 

 the pits and more frequent branching in the medullary rays. Later the fungus 



