leaves prematurely killed. The leaf-sheaths are bound firmly together 

 by the mycelium, so that the shedding of the lower leaves one by 

 one as occurs normally with most varieties or at least their loose 

 adherence to the stalk only, does not take place. The leaf blades 

 bend over at the junction with the sheath and hang parallel to the 

 stalk giving diseased stools a most characteristic appearance. All 

 exposed portions of leaf-sheaths are a very dark dull red, darker 

 than the color produced by Cercospora vaginae, as well as more uni- 

 form as to area covered. The orange-red discoloration produced 

 by Sclerotium Bolfsii could hardly be confused with it, even if scle- 

 rotia were absent. The reddened area is profusely covered with the 

 fruiting bodies, the comparatively long pointed necks of which project 

 beyond the surface sufficiently to be readily seen, and to give a rough 

 sensation when the finger is rubbed over them. During wet weather 

 a minute yellowish globule of conidia can be seen with a hand lens, 

 exuding from the mouth of the beak of each pycnidium. 



A more serious effect of the fungus is its attack on the stalks of 

 certain susceptible varieties. Young stalks are very quickly killed 

 and in fact those of some size are often overcome, in particular any 

 that have not formed any hardened internodes. The fungus produces 

 a dry rot which of course renders the cane worthless for sugar pro- 

 duction. On canes which are mature or nearly mature, very typical 

 cankers or lesions are produced. These may be one, or several on 

 eacli internode. and they are often confluent so as to completelv 

 encircle the stalk. Infection apparently occurs through the leaf traces 

 from infected leaves since the lesions in practically every case com- 

 mence at the nodes and spread downward along the internodes. One 

 or more infections may occur at each node, but never extend over 

 more than one internode except in advanced stages, where fusion of 

 the separate diseased areas occurs. An exception to the manner of 

 entrance of the fungus occurs along cracks, which are commonly 

 present in the soft white varieties. Nodal infections take on a very 

 characteristic shape, that of an inverted cone with a blunt point, the 

 broad base lying along the node, and the point extending down toward 

 the node below. The diseased areas have regular margins except 

 toward the apex and are a deep brown in color, lighter toward the 

 lower end. The most advanced portions present merely a water soaked 

 appearance of the tissues. The lesions are slightly sunken in the 

 older portions, or near the nodes, and along any cracks that in.iy 

 appear. The cracking in itself is not considered a symptom since 

 it is a phenemenon which occurs naturally in many varieties and also 

 accompanies a number of other diseases. The brown coloration ex- 



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