REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 21 



A new disease of strawberry was described by Dr. Stone as a Mollisiose. It 

 has occurred during the last two years in Ontario from Sarnia to the east and is 

 most prevalent on Clyde and Glen Mary varieties. Senator Dunlop and New 

 Williams are both free from this disease. 



It is symptomatically called "leaf scorch," owing to the effect on the leaves. 

 At fii'st minute purplish spots 1-6 mm. appear and later they enlarge and coalesce. 

 As the disease progresses they become ashy colored and acervuli develop. Elon- 

 gated purple spots also appear in the petiole. 



Systematic studies show that the ascogenous stage is Mollisia earliana E. 

 and H. The fungus overwinters on green mulched leaves and the ascospores 

 are disseminated from April to June. 



Control is possible by destroying old, diseased leaves and by spraying with 

 Bordeaux. 



Prof. Howitt gave a comprehensive account of three years' work on the dry 

 formaldehyde treatment against oat smut. He found little injury to germin- 

 ation except in old oats with impaired vitality. In 1918, 61 bushels were treated 

 resulting in treated plots being free from smut while check plots had 8.6% smut. 



In 1919, 600 bushels were treated giving a negligible amount in treated 

 plots as against 6.3% smut in untreated seed. 



In 1920, 1016 bushels were treated and divided into 30 widely scattered 

 trial plots. The results varied since check plots showed none to 14% smut. 



The results are entirely satisfactory and especially when one considers 

 speed of application. One hundred bushels can be treated in 50 minutes. In 

 one instance oats were kept three weeks after treatment without injurious 

 effects. 



Dr. Rankin and Prof. Fraser reported on the work of the Plant Disease 

 Survey for the j^ear. Requests for collaboration and individual reports were 

 sent to all likely to be interested, but unfortunately the number complying was 

 small. Many areas w^ere, however, well covered and from these conclusions 

 can be drawn. It is hoped that during the ensuing year better results will be 

 achieved. The Society expressed its appreciation of the work accomplished 

 in so short a time by Dr. Rankin and Prof. Fraser and they were reappointed a 

 Committee in charge for 1921. 



Dr. Buller gave three illustrated and interesting talks. In the first he 

 detailed experiments he had carried on to show that slugs were attracted to and 

 carried spores from certain members of the Phalloideae. 



