BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY . 49 



have been started, in cooperation with a number of nurserymen, to 

 test the resistance of different stocks to the disease, and a large num- 

 ber of stocks have been obtained for this purpose from Australia and 

 other sources. The results so far obtained give ground for the hope 

 that a method of controlling the disease will soon be worked out, and 

 a special endeavor to do this will be made the coming season. 



DISEASES OF FOREST TREES AND CONSTRUCTION TIMBER. 



The great revival of interest in forestrj^ and the care of trees has 

 made it desirable that our efforts to furnish information as to the best 

 methods of controlling or preventing some of the most serious diseases 

 of trees be increased. The main results of the year's work were pub- 

 lished in two bulletins, one on diseases of the red cedar and one on 

 diseases of New England conifers, and also in a Yearbook paper on 

 general diseases of forest trees, all of which elicited very favorable 

 comment, and for which there has been a great demand. The great 

 annual losses of life and i^roperty resulting from the destruction of 

 construction timber by fungi is a matter of much importance, and 

 various tests are under way to determine the best methods of prevent- 

 ing these losses. T!ie expert in charge of these investigations has 

 been sent to Europe to study the methods in vogue there for control- 

 ling forest-tree diseases and treating construction timber to prevent 

 the development of rots. The Bureau of Forestry is actively coop- 

 erating in the work, and the matter is of such great moment that many 

 railroad and other interests have urged the necessity of enlarging the 

 investigations and have given us material assistance by practical 

 cooperation. The work on all diseases of forest and shade trees and 

 construction timber will be pushed vigorously the current year, and 

 with its development there is every reason to believe that there will 

 be a corresponding decrease in the loss of life and property. A 

 special fund will be required for this im]3ortant work. 



DISEASES OF COTTON. 



A great deal of work has been done in connection with the diseases 

 of cotton during the year. It has been found that the wilt disease is 

 much more widespread and destructive than was hitherto suspected, 

 and that the annual losses from it far exceed our former estimate of 

 $250,000. It is especially destructive in Alabama and Mississippi and 

 in the sea island cotton districts of Georgia and Florida. As a result 

 of the work, it is believed that a practical remedy, or rather prevent- 

 ive, has been found through the selection of seed from healthy or 

 resistant plants growing in infected areas. We have a considerable 

 number of such resistant selections growing, and these will be greatly 

 increased next year. The subject is further discussed under "Plant 

 breeding." A careful study of the root rot of cotton, so prevalent in 

 all Southwestern cotton areas, has been undertaken, and also a study 

 of boll drop, anthracnose, and other serious diseases of the crop. The 

 work will be continued and enlarged the coming season. 



WORK ON TOBACCO. 



The investigations of tobacco discussed in the former annual report, 

 and carried on in cooperation with the Bureau of Soils, were tempo- 

 rarily suspended, owing to the fact that the expert who was conduct- 



AGR 1901 i 



