isfaetory. Cane diseased with Marasjmus sacchori may also be 

 affected by poor soil, poor cultivation, drought, insect injury, and 

 other fungi, and therefore to distinguish the injury done directly 

 by the root fungus is almost impossible. 



In general terms, some idea of the tremendous loss that may 

 safely be attributed to this fungus can be given. In certain areas 

 on the north coast in the district from Canovanas to and beyond 

 Eio Grande, it is in some yeai's impossible to obtain more than one 

 ratoon crop, and in one large area the plant crop was a failure, largely 

 owing to a decay of the roots due to this fungus. In a certain area 

 of a few acres, in the Fajardo district in 1913, the plant crop refused 

 to develop normally, at nine months of age appearing no larger than 

 the normal cane at three months should. In adjacent areas in liill 

 land third ratoons were a failure over several hundred acres. 



On the south coast not far from Ponce in 1911, a large area of 

 Otaheite cane failed to give a plant crop. Fields to a total extent 

 of several hundreds of acres have been investigated (Report 1914—15) 

 during the past two seasons in the Juncos, Fajardo, Toa, and Anaseo 

 districts where the cane had been practically destroyed by root disease, 

 aided by unfavorable weather. 



Host Plants. — In order to thoroughly work out control methods, 

 it is essential to know on what plants other than sugar cane the fungus 

 occurs, if any. Marasmius saccliari has been definitely collected on 

 wild pineapple, (Bromelia pinguin), on the common malojilla or Para 

 grass {Panic mn harhinode), on Andropogon hicornis, and on rotting 

 coconut husks. The sporophores were found abundantly on wild pine- 

 apple leaves that were still upright l)ut badly diseased from some cause. 

 The plants were heavily covered with vines creating a very damp 

 situation. The material on the nudojiUa occurred in a similar situa- 

 tion. It is not, however, considered that the fungus was tlu' cause 

 of any disease on these plants, but rather that it was present as a 

 mere saprophyte in which condition it is very common on cane tiasli. 



Occurrence in other countries. — Lewton-Brain (55) gave the first 

 description of the fungus in the AA^est Indies, together with an illus- 

 tration. Since then there have been many references to the occur- 

 rence of this fungus in various parts of the Pritisii Islands, and tlicy 

 may be found in the publications of the Imperial Department of 

 Agriculture and of the various local departments. They include 

 reports from Barbados, Trinidad, St. A^incent, St. Lucia, Dominica, 

 Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, A^irgin Islands, Grenada, and Alonserrat. 

 In British Guiana the disease was first definitely studied by Bancroft 

 (7) although first reported by Stockdale. Bancroft's account deals 



185 



