IIiKAisiKA: SriiiiE's nN iiii; Flax Rist 3' 



highly resistant or immune varieties of tlie cultivated flax. 



In Japan, Melampsora parasitic on Liniim was first collected in 1906 by 

 Prof. G. Yamad.v on Linum stclkroides I'lancii. growing wild in the neighbor- 

 hood of Morioka and almo.st at the same time by Mr. M.Miuka in Aoniori 

 Prefecture. The rust of the cultivated fla.x was found in 191 1 in the neighbor- 

 hood of Sapporo, but did not cause very serious damage at that time to flax 

 growers. In 19 14 and the following year, the disease spread suddenly and re- 

 sulted in a serious loss to the flax ciilti\ators. Dr. Naoharu Hikatsuka, the 

 then expert of the Teikoku Seima Kaisha, began to study the disease in rQi4, 

 and he published a preliminary report of the flax rust in the report of the 

 Teikoku Seima Kaisha, No. 9 (Japanese). After this, the late Mr. Kenjj Mi- 

 VABE undertook important studies on the same problem, especially on the effect 

 of the rust fungi on the bast-fibers, but his work remained unpublished on ac- 

 count of his lamented death. 



III. Geographical Distribution of the Flax Rust. 



The flax rust causing Melampsora liniperda (Kökn.) Palm like other spe- 

 cies of rust fungus such as Piiccinia graminis Pers., etc., has almost world- 

 wide distribution. 



In Japan, it has been found almost throughout the northern districts, in- 

 cluding Saghalien, Hokkaido and the northern part of Honshu. The materials 

 were obtained from the following places in Japan : — 



SagJuilicn: Toyohara (H. On ash i). 



Hokkaido: Prov. Ishikari : Sapporo, Kuriyama, floromui, Jözankei, Kotoni, 

 Kiyomappu, Nopporo, Shimofurano. Prov. Shiribeshi : Kutchan. Prov. Tcshio : 

 Nayoro. Prov. Iburi : Abuta. Prov. Kitami : Nokkeushi. 



The writer also had access to a large number of specimens vvhicli Dr. 

 Naoharu Hiratsuka brought from Manchuria, Mongolia and China in 19 14. 

 The present fungus has been reported under one name or another, from North 

 America (North Dakota, Iowa, Ontario, etc). South America (Argentine), lüi- 

 rope (Great Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, Switzer- 

 land and Spain), Asia (India, Asia Minor, Siberia) and Australia. It is ex- 

 tremely probable that it occurs in all countries where flax is cultivated. 



