73 



signs of activity. The lemon was kept under observation for 

 one month, but during this time the inoculations gave no sign of 

 developing into diseased spots. At the end of a month it was with 

 difficulty that the places of inoculation could have been located had they 

 not been previously marked. 



This would tend to show that this disease, if it does develop in 

 cases of fruit in store, does so from spots that are already started but 

 invisible. If this is so, and if it is also true that the disease is not 

 spread from one fruit to another in storage, the fact may be of 

 use in instances where it is claimed that fruit has contracted the 

 disease in storage. Further tests in this direction are desirable. 



Associated with the ordinary fructification of this disease I have 

 noticed, on at least one occasion, those of another sort ; the perithecia 

 are of about the same size but ascophorous. 



LEMONS DECAYING WHILE ON THE MAHKET. 



AT times one finds in the market lemons which are light in weight 

 but to all external appearances quite sound. On being opened they are 

 found filled partially with air, the pulp being a trifle dirty and showing 

 small whitish spots. Kept a few days in a warm room, these lemons 

 show a brown discolouration at the stem end, 

 and as this spreads toward the tip or other 

 end of the lemon a grayish-green fungus ap- 

 pears, generally near the stem. This resembles 

 Penicillium in appearance, and bears spores : % 



such as are pictured on this page. The rind of 



the lemon in the vicinity of the outward spore- Fig. ^f.^^/j^. by a 

 bearing portion of the fungus is permeated by 

 copious 'mycelium, and this mycelium extends 



beyond the brown colouration. For example, where the brown 

 colouration extended one-fourth of 'an inch to half an inch from the 

 stem, the mycelium was found in the more Wealthy-looking tissue an 

 inch away. Sealed in under a ctover with water, sections of the lemon 

 peel containing mycelium gave conidia and new growth of mycelium 

 as shown in Figs. 82 and 83. 



The lemons that were most carefully ex> 

 amined in this connection were imported from 

 Italy, but I have no -doubt the rot is one 

 found in connection with Australian-grown 

 lemons. The disease would appear to have 

 been introduced at the stem end of the fruit at' 

 harvest. time or during storage. ..'.,.. germinate m 



One of the most useful hints that can be 

 given for guidance in connection with thisi rot is the fact that the fruit 

 is often of light weight. This is due to the fact that the attack of the rot 

 results in evaporation of the water of the fruit, its place being taken by 

 air. This lightness comes about while the fruit ia still to all outward 



