BUTLER ANT> HAFIZ. 161 



1900-07. AVouncI inoculations on the stem of Yellow Caledonia 

 (White Tanna) canes were made. After two months the inoculated 

 internode was found to he infected and there appeared to be indi- 

 cations that the disease was spreading through the nodes to the 

 internodes above and below. Teji months later, iio further progress 

 had been made. Presumably the inoculations were made on young 

 plants. Infection through borer holes is considered by this writer- 

 to be ]3ractically the only way in which fi-esli attacks arise, but the 

 propagation of the disease by planting diseased setts is accepted. 

 Edgerton' reports a very large series of inoculations in Louisiana. 

 He states that the disease spreads from the point of inoculation up 

 and down through the cane for from two to five joints during the 

 season, but is not visible externally. Sometimes, however, if the 

 stalk is inoculated very young, the growth of the fungus is so rapid 

 that the whole stalk is killed, but this is not usually the case. In- 

 fection through borer burrows is stated to be by far the commonest 

 cause of the disease. Infection through the leaf bases and the root- 

 let buds at the nodes is considered possible but was not proven. 

 Infection through the planted setts is denied. Selection of setts is 

 advocated, not because they can carry red rot but because the 

 resulting crop should be superior if only healthy seed is used. 



Quite recently the results of inoculation experiments by South 

 and Dunlop in St. Kitts and Barbados, are described in the " Agri- 

 cultural News " (Vol. XII, Nos. 286-7-8, 1913). In the St. Kitts 

 experiments wound inoculations at the nodes and internodes caused 

 limited infection, which ceased to develop after about the first 

 month. In the more susceptible canes the fungus spread quickly 

 throughout the entire internode, but did not penetrate the joints. 

 The cane was strongly growing White Transparent, seven months old. 

 Inoculations on the leaf scars and between the leaf sheaths and the 

 stem failed. Attempts to infect cuttings gave more complicated 

 results. All the inoculated cuttings were reddened throughout 

 after 83 days, while only about half the controls showed reddening 



1 Edgerton, (.'. W., loc. ci't., p. 5. 



