194 PYTHIUM DISEASE OF GINGER, TOBACCO AND PAPAYA 



against a loss of 5 to. 6 per cent, in dry lands. In bad years the whole crop 

 may be destroyed. Butler estimated the loss in a single village near Surat 

 in 1904 at Rs. 10,000. The disease is stated by McRae to be kept in check by 

 adopting the ifollowing recommendations : — Burning of all diseased plants, 

 rotation of crops, sowing of healthy seeds, good drainage, and clean cultiva- 

 tion. Some experiments were carried out on the Rangpur Farm* to check 

 the disease on these lines and have been successful. 



Fapaya. 



jyiuch damage is done in wet seasons. The affected part of the tree should 

 be cut off clean as soon as observed, and the cut parts should be bathed 

 with an antiseptic solution. Sanitary fluid or crude carbolic acid mixed with 

 equal quantity of water and applied with a brush has been found to be very 

 successful. Coal tar can also be applied. 



Damping off of Tobacco and Chillies. 



Treatment of seed beds with chemicals was not successful. Sterilizing the 

 soil by burning dry grasses on the seed beds prevents the disease. 



2Jote. — After this paper was sent to the press, cross inoculations with 

 papaya strain of the fungus were carried out on ginger, tobacco, chilli and 

 castor plants. All the inoculations were successful. It is quite clear from 

 this that there is no specialization of parasitism among the different strains. 

 [L.S.S.] 



1 " Annual Report of the Agric. Stations in Eastern Bengal and Assam for the year ending 

 30tb June, 1908," p. 30. 



Plate II is a reprint of one used to illustrate McKae's paper referred to in the text. 



