120 



When the Brome grass is attacked by this smut the inflorescence is 

 completely filled with a sooty collection of spores. Such diseased 



Fig. 131. Spore of the smut of Prairie Grass more highly magnified thaii 

 in the preceding illustration, showing the irregularities on the surface 

 of the spore. 



r 

 X 10(30 



plants are unsuitable for fodder, though I do not know that they are 

 actually poisonous, as they have sometimes been reported to be. 



Disease in the Fruit of the Banana. 



Two green half-grown bananas sent in by Mr. Martin, fruit 

 inspector, from cargo received at Sydney, gave rise to the following 

 notes : 



The fruits, two in number, appeared hollow and discoloured in 

 cross-section. The pulp had partly disappeared, a "pipe" having 

 appeared throughout the length of the fruit. The pulp around the 

 pipe had taken on a brown or purplish brown or even a purple colour, 

 the interior of the fruit having thus acquired quite a lurid appearance. 

 The cross-section of the rind presented an unusually yellow and viscid 

 appearance, reminding one somewhat of the appearance of recently 

 cut gummy cane. In case of one of the two specimens sent, a hole, 

 as of an insect, was discovered at the distal end of the fruit, but no 

 insect was to be seen, nor were there any definite traces of an insect 

 having occupied the cavity of the fruit. 



MICROSCOPIC APPEARANCES. There was no trace of a fungus no 

 mycelium or spores. There were microbes in some parts, and the 

 appearances gave rise to a suspicion that possibly there might be a 

 definite disease present, due to this cause. The stems of both 

 specimens were black, dry, dead and corroded. It is not impossible 

 that the appearances were due to injuries to these parts of the fruit, 

 but there was no evidence of a wrench or twist of any sort. 



Tomato Rosette. 



The following notes by a correspondent are of interest in connection 

 with Tomato Rosette which has now apparently disappeared : "In the 

 April number of the Gazette appear particulars of a tomato disease 

 ' Rosette/ I have about thirty vines growing here on virgin soil. 

 Tomatoes have not been grown within miles of these vines, this being 

 the heart of what was a sheep station. The seed was obtained from 

 three sources, viz., Yates, Anderson's, and from fruit bought at a local 

 fruit store, yet this disease has shown itself. At first only two vines 

 were affected, but as the dry weather became more severe more vines 

 fell victims to the disease, until more than half the vines are badly 

 affected. Where a few vines were, constantly watered no signs of the 

 disease occurred. This led me to the conclusion that the disease is 

 altogether due to the drought, as we did not receive in all an inch of 

 rain from the end of November, to the end of March, and it was only 

 by constant cultivation that the vines were kept alive/' 



