352 EXPEEIMENT STATION RECOBD. 



inoculation and other experiments which showed that R. nigricans is a wound 

 parasite which is capable of producing a rapid decomposition of the fleshy tis- 

 sues of the tomato, even of green immature fruit. Neither the germ tubes nor 

 the aerial hyphie were found capable of penetrating the skin of a sound tomato, 

 but they gained entrance by way of cracks or punctures. The hyphse were 

 much more virulent than the germ tubes produced from the spores. It was 

 found that the development of the rot is favored by the presence of bruises, 

 and that the fungus may also gain entrance through the removal of the stem 

 from the fruit if the tomato is not quite ripe. 



A comparison of the American brown rot fungus with Sclerotinia fructi- 

 gena and S. cinerea of Europe, W. A. Matheny {Bot. Gaz., 56 (1913), No. 5, 

 pp. 418-432, figs. 6). — ^Attention is called to the claim that S. fruetigena attacks 

 pome as well as stone fruits in America, while in Europe it is confined to pome 

 fruits and the related species, S. cinerea, to stone fruit. As a contribution to 

 our knowledge of these fungi, the author gives results of the study on some of 

 the morphological characters of the two species and their behavior on different 

 hosts. Pure cultures and mummified fruits containing both species were 

 secured from Europe and the growth and other characteristics were compared 

 with a locally produced brown rot fungus. 



As a result of over 300 experiments, wide differences were noticed between 

 ;S'. fructigena of Europe and the local brown rot. S. cinerea when grown on 

 plums, pears, apples, -and quinces agreed in practically every instance with the 

 disease produced by the local fungus. When grown in pure culture the Euro- 

 pean S. fructigena never agreed with the local form, various morphological 

 differences between the two species being pointed out. The author states that 

 the American brown rot of stone fruits is not identical with /S?. fructigena occur- 

 ring in Europe on pome fruits, but agrees more nearly with 8. cinerea and 

 should be referred to that species. 



A biliography is appended. 



Winter injuries to fruit trees, M. A. Blake and A. J. Farley (New Jersey 

 Stas. Rpt. 1912, pp. 79-85).— The authors report the winter of 1911-12 as a very 

 severe one on many kinds of fruit trees and attribute it to the fact that the 

 early part of the winter was exceedingly mild, followed by unusually low tem- 

 peratures in midwinter accompanied by dry, cold winds. This produced a 

 number of kinds of injury which are classified as root injuries, twig and wood 

 injuries, trunk splitting, bark s-plitting, collar injury, sun scald, and bud killing. 

 The different forms of injury are described at considerable length and sugges- 

 tions given for their prevention. These consist in better fertilization and culti- 

 vation of the trees so as to promote vigorous growth, also the use of cover 

 crops to prevent freezing and thawing. Collar injury, it is said, may be pre- 

 vented by mounding the earth about the trunks of trees before freezing weather. 



A new disease of apple buds, E. S. Salmon and H. Wormald (Jour. South- 

 east. Agr. Col. Wye, 1912, No. 21, pp. 392, 393, pis. 2, figs. 2).— For a number of 

 years it has been observed that the flower buds of certain apple trees failed to 

 develop and remained unopened throughout the flowering season. An examina- 

 tion of the diseased buds revealed the constant occurrence of a mycelium among 

 the bud scales. In a few cases bacteria were observed in the gummy fluid, 

 but the trouble is believed to be due to a species of Fusarium as yet undeter- 

 mined. 



The Cytospora disease of the cherry, H. Wormald (Joiir. Southeast. Agr. 

 Col. Wye, 1912, No. 21, pp. 367-380, pis. 16, figs. 2).— The author reports the 

 death in 1910 of a large number of young bearing cherry trees. In 1911 the 

 disease was less serious, although considerable injury was reported. 



