been seriously injured, i. e., when the top has been cut off, and in 

 these cases the infection has spread only to the first node, leaving 

 the base of the cane perfectly sound. 



INVESTIGATIONS IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES. 



Investigation here revealed quite the same conditions as in Santo 

 Domingo; i. e., no entire rotting of sound canes, but mere infection 

 at the point of some serious injury and on the leaf-sheaths. 



INVESTIGATIONS IN CUBA. 



No extensive investigations have been made here by the writer 

 of this paper, but stalks completely rotted by the rind fungus have 

 been observed in the vicinity of Nipe Bay. 



GREENHOUSE INVESTIGATIONS, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



In the greenhouses in Washington, D. C, cane has been grown 

 to a greater or less extent for the last seven or eight years. It has 

 been common to find large stalks completely rotted out by this fun- 

 gus. It is to be expected from our observations of the behavior 

 of this organism that this would occur. Cane grown in the green- 

 house is not as hardy as that grown out of doors; its roots are apt 

 to be confined and the tops are subject to injury. Altogether the 

 appearance of this disease in Washington corresponds well with the 

 condition frequently found in Porto Rico and as casually observed in 

 one place in Cuba, but not with its appearance as seen in Santo Do- 

 mingo or the Southern United States. 



It may thus be expected that there will be found a similar varia- 

 tion in the conditions in other countries which might to a large extent 

 account for the variation in opinions regarding the importance of 

 the rind fungus. 



In the particular cases cited the possibility of confusing the case 

 with infection by other fungi has been avoided by special search for 

 such as Colletotricliuni falcatum, so while there is no direct proof 

 by inoculation that Melanconium sacchari causes the trouble under 

 all conditions, there is the fairly satisfactory proof of it, arrived at 

 by the process of elimination. 



HISTORY AND IDENTITY OF THE RIND FUNGUS. 



The first available description of a fungus breaking through the 

 rind of the cane is that of Strumclla sacchari by Cooke in Grevillea, 



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