New York Agricultural Experiment Station. hi 



quent studies convinced us of the correctness of this determina' 

 tion, but whether the fungus is referable to any of the described 

 species of Hypochnus we have been unable to decide. 



There are over sixty species of Hypochnus described in Sac- 

 cardo's Syllogc Fiuigoruui, and all except three or four are 

 recorded as saprophytes. 



That a fungus belonging to a genus so generally regarded as 

 saprophytic should be found as a parasite on fruit is remarkable. 

 However, this was exactly the case when C. roscnm became para- 

 sitic on apples in 1902. Previous to that time it had been 

 regarded by mycologists as a harmless saprophyte. 



The basidia of this hmgus, Hypochnus sp., are loosely aggre- 

 gated, and usually bear four sterigmata. The hymenium con- 

 sists of loose floccose or arachnoid hyphae. The spores are 

 uncolored and smooth, one-celled and usually obovate. As we 

 have found them they measure from 4 to ^h^- long by 2| to 3|/^ 

 wide, the most common size being 5 x 3J/JI (Plate IV, Fig. i). 



The amount of damage that this fungus has done tO' stored 

 apples is probably not large, but specimens of affected fruit have 

 been received from several different localities, and it is not 

 unlikely that it has caused some loss in many storage houses and 

 fruit cellars in Western New York. 



We have found it on but two varieties, Baldwin and Rhode 

 Island Greening. However, inoculations proved that it would 

 grow as readily on other varieties as upon these two. 



Artificial inoculations of the fungus on apples and pears were 

 made to prove its parasitism. In all of the inoculations the 

 characteristic rot always developed, while check fruits kept under 

 parallel conditions always remained sound. 



Only sound, perfect specimens of fruits were used for inocu- 

 lation experiments. They were immersed in a i-iooo solution of , 

 corrosive sublimate to destroy any spores that might be present. 

 This was washed off with distilled water and the surplus water 

 absorbed with a piece of sterilized cotton. Two fruits of the 

 same variety were placed in a large moist chamber that had been 

 washed out with a i-iooo solution of corrosive sublimate. The 

 epidermis of each fruit was punctured with a sterilized needle and 

 some of the fungus growing pure on bean stems, potato agar or 



