(582 THE FAKMHKS HANDBOOK. 



Chaff bags are used to contain the pods when they are forwarded to 

 market, the practice being to cut the bags in two, and to put 2 bushels into 

 cadi half, or growers may secure proper 2-bushel pea bags from their agent. 

 The peas are not so liable to sweat, and are more conveniently handled in 

 the small bags than in the large ones. 



Varieties. 



There are a number of good varieties of peas, each of which has its 

 admirers, but the most popular is Yorkshire Hero. It is a main crop 

 variety, hardly maturing quickly enough to justify its use for very early 

 purposes. It produces a rather small pod compared with some other 

 varieties, but the pods are usually well filled. Of late years other varieties 

 with larger pods have been more extensively grown, and of these the most 

 popular appear to be American Wonder, Greenfeast, and Richard Seddon; 

 all main crop sorts. For early varieties William Hurst and Hundredfold 

 can be recommended. 



Fungus Diseases of Beans and Peas.* 

 Anthracnose or Pod Spot. 



The disease known as Anthracnose or Pod Spot is caused by a fungus 

 Colletotrichum lindemuthianum . Recent investigations show that there 

 may be several biologic forms of this species of Colletotrichum that attacK 

 beans, and that C. lindemuthianum is only one stage of growth in an 

 ascomycete fungus known as a Gloinerella. The disease occurs all over the 

 world wherever beans are grown, often doing very serious damage.' It 

 attacks pods, stems, and leaves, but the most conspicuous injuries are the 

 spots on the pods. The fungus penetrates the affected parts to a considerable 

 extent, and the seeds in the pods beneath the spots are often spotted or 

 discoloured. The fungus is present in the seed, and by the use of infected 

 seed the fungus is readily distributed. It appears upon the cotyledons 

 (seedling leaves) of the young plant when badly infected seed is sown. 

 The fungus spreads from the seed leaves to the first- formed true leaves of 

 the plant. The stems of plants are often so badly diseased near the base that 

 they may fall over and die. The pods, when quite young and succulent, 

 offer the best conditions for the growth and development of the fungms, 

 which develops best with continued wet weather or with heavy dews. 

 Spores from diseased spots on stems and leaves may fall on the pods, where, 

 in the presence of moisture and a sufficiently high temperature, they 

 germinate rapidly and produce the spots, which enlarge and darken until 

 nearly black. The dead tissue dries and shrinks. Spores are produced by 

 the fungus in these spots in great abundance, and ooze out, forming pink 

 masses held together by a mucilage, which, when dry, sticks them to the 

 spot. When dew or rain falls on these spots the mucilage is dissolved and 

 the spores set free in the water. At this time any disturbance of the bean 

 plant will scatter these spores to other plants. For this reason beans should 

 not be cultivated nor handled in the early morning while the dew is still 

 on them, or after a shower. The spores are scattered when wet, and hence 

 a rainy season is most favourable to the spread of the disease. 



Prevention and Treatment. — Since diseased pods and stems left in the 

 fields will provide infection for the new crop, all diseased plants, leaves, and 

 pods should be collected and burnt. 



* Compiled by Officers of the Biological Branch. 



