at the same time. So far as is known M. sacchariniim does not occur 

 on the cane stalks, with the exception of the flow^ering stalk, and is 

 not as yet known to cause serious damage. 



Gnomonia iliau. — This fungus occurs in Hawaii and in Louisiana. 

 The perfect or Gnomonia stage might at a casual glance be mistaken 

 for Melanconium sacchari, but the necks of the perithecia are slen- 

 der and hard and do not spread out as do the black spore masses of 

 the rind fungus. The imperfect stage of Gnomonia iliau is called 

 Melanconiufn iliau and to the writer does not present satisfactory 

 means of identification to the naked eye, so closely does it resemble 

 M. sacchari. Under a lens, or more especially under a compound 

 microscope, the differences are readily apparent. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE DISEASE. 



United States.- — ^The rind fungus {Melanconium sacchari) was re- 

 ported by Dr. Stubbs in the Louisiana Planter for May 21, 1910. 

 Edgerton (11) reported it as occurring only on seed cane. H. R. 

 Fulton, formerly of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 sent to Washington specimens of Melanconium sacchari on cane. 

 This was sent from New Orleans on October 19, 1907. About 1905 

 Dr. Erwin F. Smith was growing cane in the greenhouses in Wash- 

 ington, D. C, for studies on the gumming disease. On much of 

 this cane Melanconium sacchari appeared. In the summers of 1911 

 and 1913 more cane was grown in other greenhouses in Washington, 

 and on tliis cane appeared much of this disease. Further than these 

 notes there are no records of the occurrence of this disease in the 

 States, with the exception of the author's notes. These notes report 

 its occurrence in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas. 



Cuha. — The fungus was reported as common on dead canes, leaf- 

 sheaths and dead leaves that had been kept in a moist place and 

 also as frequent on dead or injured parts of living canes, by Home 

 and Cooke (10). The writer has also seen this disease on standing 

 cane at Nipe Bay, Cuba. 



Jamaica. — As already mentioned, TrululUi sacchari E&E iden- 

 tical with Melanconium sacchari was sent from Westmoreland County, 

 Jamaica, and reported on by Cockerell (7) in 1891-93. Fawcett (15) 

 in 1895 reported the rind disease due to Melanconium sacchari to 

 be common on certain estates, especially in cane tops affected by the 

 moth-borer. 



Santo Domingo. — The author reported the rind fungus common 

 in most of the cane districts of this fsland in 1913. 



