348 EXPERIMENT STATION RECOED. [Vol.35 



Report of the department of vegetable pathology and entomology, P. 



Caedin {Estac. Expt. Agron. [Cuba^, Informe An., 3 (1909-1914), PP- 98-173, 

 pis. 5). — This report, covering the period from July, 1909, to July, 1914, con- 

 tains an account of insect pests and fungus parasites, the host plants being 

 arranged in alphabetical order according to their native names in Spanish, with 

 references to bulletins, circulars, etc., in cases in which they have been noted 

 previously. 



Smuts of grain and forage crops in Kansas, L. E. Melchers (Kansas Sta. 

 Bui. 210 (1916), pp. S-S8. figs. 20). — After giving general statements regarding 

 the amount of loss due to smuts, the author describes the important smut dis- 

 eases in Kansas, grouping them under the headings of corn smut and head 

 smut of the sorghums ; kernel smut of the sorghums, stinking smut of wheat, 

 smut of oats, covered smut of barley, and smut of millet ; and the loose smuts 

 of wheat and barley. These different cereal diseases are described at some 

 length and suggestions given for their control. 



In connection with the control of loose smut, the author urges the necessity 

 for seed plats so isolated as to prevent infection. 



Experiments on varietal resistance to the bean and cotton anthracnose dis- 

 eases, C. W. Edgeeton and C. C. Moreland (Louisiana Stas. Bui. 155 (1916), 

 pp. 2Jf, figs. 4). — A report is given of some experiments on the varietal resistance 

 of beans and cotton to anthracnose diseases. 



The experiments with beans were carried on in both the field and the green- 

 house in 1914, in 1915 in the field, and in the winter of 1914-15 in the green- 

 house, cultures of Colletotrichum lindemuthianum from different sections and 

 from different varieties of beans being tested. As a result of their experiments 

 the authors conclude that the bean anthracnose fungus is composed of different 

 strains which affect different varieties of beans differently. Some varieties 

 were susceptible to many different strains of the fungus, while others were 

 resistant to some strains but susceptible to others. Some varieties of beans 

 were found practically immune to some strains of the fungus. The reason 

 for this behavior is attributed to the fact that the bean anthracnose fungus 

 is not variable, and is unable to adjust itself to slight variations in the host 

 plant, and as varieties of beans are said not to cross readily there are no 

 intermediate forms, which would permit the specialization seen in the different 

 strains. 



The experiments with cotton anthracnose (C. gossypii) were conducted in 

 the field, as it was impossible to grow a sufficient amount of cotton to maturity 

 in the greenhouse. The data secured were obtained by natural infections in 

 which the varieties were grown between rows of badly infected plants, and 

 by artificial infections in which the flowers were inoculated with pure cultures 

 of the anthracnose fungus. In the case of the experiments with cotton, the 

 anthracnose fungus was found more variable and was able to adjust itself to 

 variations in the host plant more readily than the bean anthracnose fungus. 

 Cotton varieties were not found to show any marked variability in regard to 

 their resistance to anthracnose. All the varieties tested seemed very sus- 

 ceptible to the disease, and, although in some cases slight differences were 

 noted, these are not considered of importance. 



A rust of Astragalus sinicus and two fungus diseases of mulberry, H. 

 Nomura (Atti 1st. Bot. R. Univ. Pavia, 2. ser., 9 (1911), pp. 37, 38). — Descrip- 

 tions are given of the supposedly new species of fungi, Coryneuin mori and 

 Pkoma nipJionia on Morus alba, and Tuberculina nomuriana on A. sinicus. 



A new smut fungus on Arrhenatherum elatius, H. C. Schellenberg (Ber. 

 Dent. Bot. Gesell., SS (1915), No. 7, pp. 316-328, pi. 1, fig. i).— A supposedly 



