HISTORY AND CAUSE OF THE RIND DISEASE OF SUGAR CANE. 



By John E.. Johnston, 

 Formerly Pathologist of the Insular Experiment Station. 



Introduction. 



The rind disease of sugar cane has been one of the most widely 

 discussed of all the cane diseases. It has been variously considered 

 by some as being- a harmless saprophyte and by others as having 

 caused great damage in the cane fields. Chiefly owing to inaccurate 

 and incomplete observations, literature on the subject is almost hope- 

 lessly confused as to the real nature of the fungus or the disease 

 caused by it. That cane fields are still invaded by a serious disease 

 of the rind which is always accompanied by a destruction of the tis- 

 sues and a deterioration of the sugar content, render it important 

 to ascertain the cause of the trouble. It is believed that a careful 

 study of the literature in the light of numerous field and laboratory 

 investigations will do much to clear up this subject. The writer has 

 been studying the matter for the past three years and can come to 

 no other conclusion than that the rind disease causes a great loss 

 in many cane fields. When the nature of this disease is described 

 and its history is shown, it is believed that this conclusion will he-. 

 justified. 



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