J. F. DASTUR 143 
6. That healthy fruits from the sprayed plants remain unspotted on 
drying, while those from the unsprayed plants develop the disease. 
7. That perhaps better results may be got by a combination of 
application of manure and spraying with Burgundy mixture. 
8. That the late sown crop suffers little from die-back and Choanephora. 
These experiments with a few additions and alterations were repeated in 
1918, 1919 and 1920, in order to confirm the results obtained in 1917, but this 
object was not attained because in these years there was no incidence of 
this disease, not only at Pusa, but also in the chilli-growing tracts north of the 
Ganges. It has already been pointed out that high humidity is correlated with 
the incidence of the disease. These three years, 1918, 1919 and 1920, were 
comparatively drier and warmer than the previous three years, at the time 
when the plants are susceptible to infection. Judging from the observations of 
the last six years it seems that this disease in Bihar becomes virulent when 
the humidity percentage in the second half of September (when the plants 
begin to flower) is on anaverage above 85. 
Summarv. 
The die-hack disease of chillies in Bihar, caused by Vermacularia Capsicr 
Syd., is described. : 
The disease first appears in the end of September or in the first half of 
October when the plants have commenced to flower. 
Plants growing in the shade of trees escape the infection, 
The late sown crop is also free from this disease. 
The infection as a rule commences from the growing point or the flower- 
bud. The stem dies back as the infection spreads downwards. 
The attack on the stem is checked with the first onset of the cold 
weather. 
Infected fruits become spotted when they are ripe, but fruits 
that mature after the beginning of December are generally free from 
disease. 
Seeds of diseased fruits may become infected. “The hyphe are found not 
only on the seed coats but also in the inner tissues. 
The germination of the infected seed and the development of the seedling 
depend on the extent of the diseased condition of the seed. 
Cultural characters of the fungus are deseribed. 
Inoculation experiments show that the plants take the infection only when 
the humidity is very high. If it is reduced below a certain limit progress of 
the infection is checked, 
