EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT. 439 



formed in the soil, close to the bulb, and thus endanger subsequent 

 crops. ' ' The trouble is figured by Cavara*. 



The botrytis in question is closely related to several others, and 

 particularly the one causing a serious disease among lilies, investi- 

 gated by Dr. Marshall Wardf, in England, and by Mr. S. S. Kean^ 

 whose results were published, with colored plate, in the "Botanical 

 Gazette" for January, 1890. "Professor Ward calls the lily dis- 

 ease one of the most annoying pests that the horticulturist has had 

 to trouble him of late. The disease first shows itself as small, rusty 

 spots upon the buds and leaves, and, by their enlarging in the blos- 

 S(5ms, are ruined. This botrytis consists of coarse threads, which 

 run in all directions through the attacked branched stalks, bearing 

 multitudes of spores.'' 



This form of mould is common upon many plants, and at times is 

 very destructive to root crops, as turnip and carrot. The onion^ 

 another bulbous plant, is often attacked by the same or a similar 

 gray mould (Botrytis). The multitudes of spores borne upon the 

 tips of the branches germinate quickly, and, when lying upon the 

 surface of a little leaf, will bore their tubes through the epidermis. 

 When once inside, the thread increases in size and grows rapidly in 

 length, branching and causing decay as it pushes along. After thfr 

 Botrytis fungus has grown for a while it may produce dark, hard 

 bodies, by a peculiar twisting and knotting of its threads. These 

 dark masses, or sclerotia, remain uninjured through the winter, and 

 when spring comes they produce peculiar, trumpet-shaped outgrowths, 

 which finally give rise to multitudes of spores. These are set free, 

 and, finding their way to the young lily, produce the destructive gray 

 mould again. These spores, by their large numbers and quick growth,, 

 show how it is possible for the lily disease to spread rapidly. The 

 Botrytis is fond of moisture, and, in a dry season, the lilies may be 

 great. Mr. Kean suggests, as a remedy, "the planting of some other 

 crop in alternate rows, which, with high and spreading foliage, will 

 prevent the collection of the dew upon the leaves and thus check the 

 fungus, so dependent upon moisture for its propagation." 



A similar mould {BotnjtU galanthina Berk.) is upon the "snow- 

 drop," a plant closely related to tulip and lily. As this produces 

 dark masses of sclerotia, it, like the others, may be classed in the 

 genus Sclerotinia, as .S'. galanthina Lud. and other similar cases, so 

 soon as the fruiting form associated with the sclerotids is determined. 



*In App. Pat. Veg. 10, Tab. VI., Figs. 1-4. 

 fAnnals of Botany, Vol. II., pp. 319-382, 1888. 



