346 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT, IQI2. 



last season, it seems quite probable that it has caused more or 

 less harm to this host before, since it has been reported as quite 

 injurious in several other Eastern states in times past. The 

 trouble was called to our attention last year by a request, late 

 in September, from H. B. Cornwall of Meriden to visit his 

 farm and see what was the matter with his cabbages. Inspection 

 showed that the trouble, which was quite serious, was this bac- 

 terial disease. Although Mr. Cornwall had grown cabbage for 

 some years, this was the first time that he had noticed trouble 

 of this sort. 



From what we could learn from Mr. Cornwall, the disease 

 apparently started in his cabbage from the seed of Danish Bald 

 Head, which was imported. This variety was by far the most 

 infected, and in looking over the old seedbed, we found several 

 stunted seedlings of this variety that showed the disease. Mr. 

 Cornwall also gave some of the young plants to several of his 

 neighbors, and an examination of their fields showed the dis- 

 ease on this variety, but not usually on the others. 



Mr. Cornwall did not notice the trouble until about the mid- 

 dle of September, when, following a spell of muggy weather, 

 this variety began to go down rapidly. Several other varieties, 

 such as Copenhagen Market, Flat Dutch, and Savoy, showed 

 little or none of the disease, although close to the Danish Bald 

 Head. This probably means that the disease was not present in 

 their seedlings, and that it spread to them later from the infected 

 Danish Bald Head when the latter became badly infected. But 

 of course it might also mean that these varieties were not so 

 susceptible to the disease. The cabbage was on new land, and 

 the plants were all from new seed beds. Part of the land had 

 manure on it, and part had not, but this did not seem to make 

 any difference. The Danish Bald Head first set out showed the 

 trouble worse than those planted later. 



This disease is recognized by the blackened veins of the leaves, 

 Plate XX b, where the bacteria develop chiefly, and in time 

 extend down into the head. The leaf tissues finally turn yellow, 

 and the leaves are easily pulled off. Soft rot, caused in part 

 by other organisms, often loosens them at the base, and develops 

 ari ill-smelling internal decay, XX a. The bacteria gain entrance 

 through drops of water at the water pores on the margins of the 

 leaves. 



