MYCOLOGICAL SECTION. Ill 



carefully examined, especially after a period of very damp weather, 

 one will often find arising from them short stalks or conidiophores, 

 bearing very small oval conidia. This growth is illustrated in Fig. 

 4, Plate III. 



The discovery of the mature or ascigerous form of the fungus of 

 the Black-Rot is recorded in the ''Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical 

 Club for August, 1880." It appears that Dr. E. C. Bidwell, of Vine- 

 land, ]Sr. J., made this discovery in the early part of May of that year 

 (1880) in grapes which had been diseased with the rot the season pre- 

 vious. At about the same time Mr. J. B. Ellis, the well-known my- 

 cologist of ISTewfield, N. J. , found the same form in the old and shriv- 

 eled grapes gathered from the ground in vineyards at his place. This 

 mature or ascigerous form of the fungus of the Black-Rot is shown in 

 Fig. Q, Plate III, drawn from specimens very kindly sent me by Mr. 

 Ellis. 



Within the conceptacle or perithecium are seen a multitude of little 

 sacs, named asci, in which are developed spores that are technically 

 called sporidia or ascospores. 



The walls of the asci are very transparent, and it is difficult to de- 

 termine their outline, except they be separated and viewed singly. 

 (Figs. 7 and 8, Plate III.) Except for the sporidia they contain they 

 are perfectly transparent. 



The perithecia containing the asci are in all respects like those 

 that inclose the stylospores, and they have every appearance of being 

 developed from the same mycelium, which doubtless retains its vital- 

 ity through the winter months within the diseased berries. 



To sum up the life history of the fungus of the Black-Rot we have: 

 (1) The stylospores, inclosed in conceptacles, the Phoma uvicola of 

 authors; (2) the spermatia, produced at the same time and inclosed 

 in similar though smaller conceptacles: (3) the conidia, externally de- 

 veloped on short conidiophores; and (4) the sporidia, which are 

 formed in asci that are inclosed in a protecting perithecium. The 

 stylospores, and possibly also the spermatia, are undoubtedly de- 

 signed for the immediate propagation of the fungus. The conidia 

 probably serve the same purpose, and by their tardy development 

 may help to continue the fungus from year to year. The sporidia, 

 without doubt, are the special reproductive bodies for the latter pur- 

 pose, being analogous to what have already been named '"'winter 

 spores." 



When the mature form of this fungus was discovered, Mr. Ellis 

 named it, in honor of the discoverer, Sphceria Bidivellii. A more 

 recent system of classification has placed it in the genus Physalo- 

 spora, and it is now known to mycologists as Physalospora Bidivellii 

 Sacc. 



REMEDIES. 



It is plainly evident from the nature of the fungus of the Black-Rot 

 that all remedies must be preventive. When the mycelium is once 

 established in the tissues of the berry the destruction of the latter is 

 certain. 



It is now known that the fungus passes the winter in the diseased 

 and withered berries of the previous season, and possibly also in the 

 young shoots. Hence, by gathering and raking together in the au- 

 tumn all the fallen berries and trimmings from the vine and burn- 

 ing them, just so much infectious material will be destroyed. The 

 washing of the vines in early spring, before the buds have commenced 



