VII 



PEPPER 



225 



size, and is followed by a rapid decay. The disease 

 starts with the formation of the fruit pods and spreads 

 rapidly through the soil. It is due to a fungus, 

 Sclerotium Rolfsii, Sacc., which produces an enormous 

 amount of mycelium by which it is spread, and dense 

 sclerotia by which it is carried from season to season ; 

 but does not, so far as we know, produce spores. 



The disease is well known throughout the southern 

 part of the United States, where it is also said to attack 

 tomato, egg-plant, white potato, sweet potato, beet, 



FIG. 79. Bean seedlings affected with anthracnose, Colletotrichum lindemuthianum. 

 (Photo by C. W. Edgerton.) 



peanut, bean, cow-pea, cabbage, squash, water-melon, 

 rhubarb, fig, cotton, violet, hydrangea, daphne, chrysan- 

 themum, morning glory, sugar-cane, and many other 

 plants. Either the same or a very similar disease has 

 been reported as causing the " red mucus " (Roten 

 Eotz) disease of sugar-cane in Java by Dr. J. H. Wakker. 

 The disease can be held in check by spraying the soil 

 around each plant with about one pint of ammoniacal 

 copper carbonate solution or eau celeste. The first 

 application should be made when the disease first 

 appears, and repeated about once every two or three 



Q 



