8 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [Sess. lxxvi. 



The terminal bud is eventually killed and the whole plant 

 rots down to the ground. The organism responsible for 

 this has been isolated, and is being provisionally called 

 Bacterium musce. 



A disease like this might easily become epidemic and 

 ruin the cultivation of the banana in the West Indies, in 

 the same way as the coffee-leaf disease ruined the coffee 

 industry in Ceylon. 



I need not comment further on the loss that would result 

 if plant pathologists were not on the spot, studying and 

 devising means to prevent such a catastrophe. 



If we had any means of estimating the loss caused 

 annually by the dry-rot fungus, the figures would no doubt 

 be equally astounding. 



We have very little means of estimating cases of annual 

 loss in this country due to disease, but the total must be 

 enormous. Reference to the failure for some years and 

 threatened extinction of the potato crop in Ireland about 

 sixty years ago, with its attendant loss and suffering to 

 millions of people, may recall the seriousness of an epidemic 

 disease of a food plant. Since then preventive means in 

 the shape of spraying have been devised, thanks to the 

 development of applied botany, whereby the disease may 

 be kept sufficiently in check to prevent a repetition of such 

 a dire calamity. 



Within recent years an entirely new potato disease was 

 discovered by Schilberskzy in Upper Hungaiy, namely, the 

 Black Scab disease, which is caused by a fungus, Chryso- 

 phlyctis endobiotica. In 1901 this disease was found in 

 England by Professor M. C. Potter, and year by year it 

 spread round the originally affected area, and also appeared 

 in more distant localities, till centres of infection were 

 reported from all over the country. In 1908 it was 

 scheduled under the Destructive Insect and Pest Act as 

 a notifiable disease. It is to be hoped that this may be 

 effective in checking its further spread in this county. 

 About two years ago this same disease was discovered by 

 G. H. Gussow in Newfoundland. In connection with the 

 outbreak, Mr. Gussow was sent by the Department of 

 Agriculture of Canada to investigate the origin of the 

 disease, and assist and advise the Newfoundland Govern- 



