982 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



the fungi and means for their repression are described. The author takes up the 

 various genera of smuts, describing their species in detail. The work is intended as 

 an account of the diseases of Belgium which are due to fungi, but a considerable 

 number are included that have not yet been reported as occurring in that country. 



Annual report of investigations on plant diseases, M. Hollrung et al. 

 (Jahresber. Pflanzenkrank. , 7 (1904), pp. VIII '+S7 '4). ,— A review is given of the 

 literature relating to plant diseases and insect injuries during 1904, about 2,000 articles 

 being noted by abstract or otherwise. The arrangement is similar to that in previous 

 publications (E. S. R., 17, p. 373). 



The bearing of Mendelism on the susceptibility of wheat to rust, E. J. 

 Butler (Jour. Agr. Sti., 1 (1905), No. 3, pp. 361-863).— Commenting upon the 

 conclusions of a previous author (E. S. R., 17, p. 462), the author states that the 

 Mendelian laws may hold good for a given rust in a particular locality, and not where 

 the wheat is exposed to the attacks of a second species of rust or when it is trans- 

 ferred to another locality. A number of instances are cited of varieties of wheat 

 that are reputed to be resistant to rust in one locality which are quite easily affected 

 when transferred to other regions, and vice versa. 



The author in defining susceptibility to rust says that it depends on the liability 

 of the leaves to uredospore attack, and that the latent germ, if it exists at all, can do 

 so only in a comparatively small proportion of grains. No wheat is as yet known 

 on which rust may not sometimes appear, so that immune sorts may bear the latent 

 germ as well as susceptible ones. 



Experiments with wheat and oats for smut, L. F. Henderson (Idaho Sta. 

 BkI. 53, />}>. 15). — The use of fungicides for the prevention of smuts of wheat and oats 

 has been commonly urged, and the present bulletin was designed not to test the 

 relative efficiency of treatments but to find out, as far as possible, how long grain 

 should be treated to give the best results. It is shown that smut may be controlled 

 by proper treatment, and that formalin solution is better than copper sulphate. 

 Another season's experiments will be required to determine whether the yield per 

 acre is sufficiently greater with oats treated with hot water to pay for the extra 

 trouble over the formalin treatment. 



A. second series of experiments was carried on to determine the effect of formalin on 

 germination of grain. To test this, wheat was piled upon heavy canvas, thoroughly 

 sprinkled with formalin solution, and shoveled until every kernel was wet, after 

 which the pile w r as covered with two thicknesses of canvas and allowed to remain for 

 some time. The seed treated with a solution of 1 pt. of formalin to 16 gal. of water 

 and covered for nearly a day was but slightly injured. The seed treated as above 

 and covered for nearly 2 days was seriously affected. Wheat treated by the ordi- 

 nary formula, 1 pt, of formalin to 50 gal. of water, or even 1 pt. to 25 gal., was 

 not injured at all, although covered for 2 days. It is recommended that in treating 

 grain with formalin the piles should not be covered at all. Injury is believed to be 

 due either to the use of too strong solutions or to the covering of the pile so as to keep 

 the seed moist, for 2 days or more. 



The flag smut of wheat, D. McAlpine (Jour. Dept. Agr. Victoria, 3 (1905), No. 

 2, pp. 168, 169, pl.l). — A description is given of attacks of Urocystis occulta on wheat. 

 This smut is usually confined to rye, but in Australia seems to be a rather serious 

 pest of wheat. For its prevention the author recommends the use of formalin, the 

 seed to be soaked for 10 minutes in a solution of 1 lb. to 40 gal. of water, after which 

 it is dried and sown. 



Potato scab, L. F. Henderson (Idaho Sta. Bid. 52, pp. 8). — A report is given 

 of a series of experiments to test the relative value of sulphur, formalin, and corro- 

 sive sublimate treatments for the prevention of potato scab. 



Rolling seed potatoes in sulphur was found to'have little if any effect in reducing 

 the amount of scab, and treated potatoes planted m soil from which a scabby crop 



