1922] 



ROSEN — A BACTERIAL DISEASE OF FOXTAIL 339 



Jones, and Reddy (I, '19) Bacterium translucens var. undulosum. 

 This organism goes as readily to barley as the barley organism 

 itself, while the barley organism hardly attacks wheat. It also 

 is a yellow pathogen. 



Another bacterial disease of wheat was found in India by 

 Hutchinson and first described in 1017. The descriptions indi- 

 cate that the disease is quite similar to the one described by 

 O'Gara (I, '15, '15 n ) on western wheat-grass. There is a marked 

 distortion of the heads and the spikelets are covered by a yellow 

 slime. The pathogenicity of the organism, Pseudomonas Tritici 

 Hutch., has not as yet been definitely established. The symptoms, 

 particularly the yellow slime, would indicate that it is quite dif- 

 ferent from the foxtail disease. 



For convenience a third bacterial disease of wheat, the basal 

 glumerot, may be considered next. It was discussed by Miss 

 McCulloch in 1920, and the pathogen, Bacterium atrojaciens, 

 described as a greenish pigment producer, is quite distinct from 

 the foxtail organism. 



In closing the historical resume of bacterial diseases of grasses 

 it should be noted that no attempt has been made to include 

 all references, but rather those of significance in relation to the 

 disease producer here investigated. The 14 grass genera listed 

 by Smith (I, '20) have been included and besides these reference 

 has been made to a bacterial disease of Arrhenatherum and of 

 Oryza. In addition special attention may be called to the very 

 brief notice of a bacterial disease of millet (listed under Panicum 

 sp. 1 but perhaps intended to be Chaetochloa (Setaria) sp.) in a 

 supplement bulletin of the Plant Disease Survey (I, '19, p. 157). 

 The note reads: "Blight, apparently of bacterial cause, was 



noticed on three varieties of millet in Minnesota about August 

 17. " This reference is of particular interest, since millet, Chae- 

 tochloa italica (Setaria italica) } is closely related to foxtail, Chae- 

 tochloa lutescens (Setaria glauca) and in the seedling stage is 

 as readily attacked by the foxtail organism as foxtail itself. Var- 

 ious other references have been found to bacterial diseases of 

 grasses, including those which produced spots on rye and on corn, 

 but these are so brief as to be of no special significance for pres- 

 ent purposes. 



ir rhere are a number of different grasses going under the name of millet, but 

 the names foxtail, millet, or Italian millet are applied to Chaetochloa italica, 

 while proso or broom-corn millet are applied to Panicum miliaceum. The latter 

 is but sparingly grown in this country. (See Hitchcock, U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. 

 PI. Ind. Bui. 772. 1920.) 



