New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 523 



tliese spores may fall upon some part of a lily plant and there germi- 

 nate, producing a slender, colorless germ-tube. The tip of the 

 germ-tube excretes a soluble ferment which dissolves cellulose and 

 thus tiie fungus easily gains access to the interior of the plant where 

 it feeds upon the tissues. 



In the course of ifes development, the mycelium in places becomes 

 twisted into hard, dark, seed-like bodies called sclerotia (sing, 

 sclerotium). It is probable, but not demonstrated, that in the fol- 

 lowing spring the sclerotia produce, as in certain other species of 

 Botrytis^ trumpet-shaped bodies bearing on their expanded tips a 

 second kind of spores in sacks. It is supposed that the fungus 

 passes the winter in the sclerotium condition. 



Although the fungous nature of the disease has been known since 

 18S8 there has been scarcely any experimentation with remedies. 

 Mr. Kean noticed that lilies growing under oleander bushes suf- 

 fered less from the disease and hence he suggested as a possible 

 remedy, that some other plant with high and spreading foliage be 

 planted with the lilies in alternate rows in order to prevent dew 

 from collecting on the lilies. An abundance of moisture is required 

 for the germination of the Botrytis spores. I understand that 

 some lily growers in Bermuda spray with Bordeaux mixture but I 

 think that there are no recorded experiments with this fungicide. 



The following experiments were made at Floral Park, N. Y., on 

 the premises of Mr. C. H. Allen. Three species, Lilium can- 

 didiun, L., Z. Batemanii and Z. speciosum, Thunb., were treated 

 with Bordeaux mixture made according to the formula : 



Sulphate of copper 6 ponuds. 



Fresh lime 4 " 



Water 45 gallons. 



1. A bed of Lilium candidiuii lilies sixty feet long and four feet 

 wide was divided into two equal parts. One part was untreated ; 

 the other was sprayed three times — June 7, June 24 and July 6. 

 At the time of the first spraying the disease was already far 

 advanced. Half way up the stems the leaves were nearly all dead 

 and the remainder badly spotted. At the. time of the third spray- 

 ing there was scarcely a living leaf to be found on the untreated 

 part while on the sprayed part there were still a good many green 



