Report of thr Vegetahlv Pathologist. 255 



and some of these are specially adapted to sui'vive until favorable 

 conditions arise for their g-ermination. All this shews the necessity 

 to the grower of some knowledge of the nature and habits of fungi, 

 if he is successfully to combat them, and such a need is freely 

 recognised by the l)epartment. In addition to various Guides to 

 Growers and Bulletins, there are already available in this Branch, 

 Handbooks on the Diseases of Vines, Stone-fruit Trees, Citrus Trees, 

 and of Cabbage and Cauliflower, and these are being gradually added 

 to, so that we hope soon to have every branch of agriculturnl and 

 horticultural industry provided for. 



In the Agricultural Classes recently established by the Director of 

 Agriculture, provision is made for the subject of Vegetable Pathology 

 being taught by means of lectures and practical illustration, so 

 that every facility is given to those desirous of information. There 

 can be no doubt that as the diseases of plants receive closer atten- 

 tion, and the latest available information is acquired, growers will be 

 more fully alive to the risks they run, and will the more readily 

 avail themselves of the best known methods of treatment. In the 

 course of the year, specimens of almost every cultivated plant have 

 been submitted to me for some real or supposed disease, and in making 

 a selection of the principal diseases met with only a few of the more 

 prominent can be noticed. 



Potato Diseases. 

 There are several diseases of the potato which are becoming rather 

 serious, and will ]-equire to be attended to, not merely to save the imme- 

 diate crop, but to prevent their spread to districts where they do not 

 now exist. The potato disease of other lands has not yet found its way 

 into Australia, but there are others which seriously affect the crop, 

 both as to yield and quality. Some of them will afterwards be 

 treated at length, but at present the following will l)e briefly 

 noticed, as they have been investigated recently : — Early Blight, 

 Blister, and the Sclerotium disease. 



Early Blight. — This is a disease which has been known here for a 

 number of years, as in 1896 I called attention to it as " A new 

 Potato disease," and it has been referred to in previous reports. 

 Although at first confined to certain districts it seems now to be 

 spreading, and will require careful attention at the hands of the 

 growers. it is known as early blight in contrast to the potato 

 disease of older countries, often referred to as late blight. 

 It also occurs in America, Europe and in New Zealand, and in the 

 latter Colony it seems to be very prevalent. It is caused by a 

 fungus known as Alternaria .solani. Since this disease has been 

 carefully investigated, it will be be treated in detail in a future 

 issue of the Journal. 



Blister. — In April of this year some potatoes were forwarded to 

 me from Mount Gambler in South Australia, in which the surface was 

 covered all over as if with blisters, hence the common name applied 

 to the disease. On examination this appearance was found to be due 



