fcULfcARNl. 21 3 



To test whether the mycelium of the fungus lives in the grain as some 

 of the American mycologists believe, the grains of both jowar and 

 bajri from attacked heads were sown in sterilised soil in pots. The 

 plants did not show any disease and produced sound heads. Such 

 grains were sectioned for mycelium and examined after staining in 

 cotton blue. But no mycelium was seen. The obvious means by 

 which it continues are the oospores. But they have resisted all my 

 attempts to germinate them in the laboratory. As Dr. Butler says : 

 From the regular manner in which the disease appears in certain 

 places every year, it is highly probable that germination occurs freely 

 in nature under suitable conditions " and it would be possible to 

 germinate them only when those conditions are reached. 



Both the Sderosporas occur in all places where the two crops are 

 grown in the Bombay Presidency, with the exception that the jowar 

 Sclerospora has not yet been observed in Gujerat. 



Poona : 

 January, 1912. i 



