PLANT DISEASES OF CONNECTICUT. 349 



off at the surface, showed no conspicuous growth of any 

 fungus, but upon microscopic examination, especially after 

 keeping the plants in a moist chamber, the characteristic myce- 

 lium of this fungus could be found in more or less abundance. 

 Cultures were readily obtained, and while these looked very 

 similar to those of the potato Rhizoctonia, we are not sure 

 whether they are identical. It seems, however, to be the same 

 thing that causes dampening-off of a variety of plants in seed- 

 beds and greenhouses. 



This same fungus was also found dampening off coniferous 

 seedlings in the Elm City Nursery, especially those of the yew, 

 Taxus cuspidata. Those in charge stated that it was almost 

 impossible to grow seedlings of this species, as it seems to be 

 particularly subject to this injury. They found that if, as soon 

 as the trouble appeared, they sprayed the ground around the 

 affected plants with Bordeaux mixture, and repeated the spray- 

 ing when necessary, they could save a fair percentage of the 

 seedlings. 



Sun Scorch. This may perhaps be considered a combination 

 of winter injury and sun scorch. Various evergreens, especially 

 hemlock, suffered severely from this widespread trouble in the 

 early spring of 1911. While in most cases merely the leaves 

 were killed in greater or less numbers, yet when this injury was 

 severe enough the plants themselves died as a result of the 

 severe defoliation that followed. Often only the outer ends of 

 the leaves were killed, turning a reddish-brown in contrast with 

 the green of the uninjured portion. 



The trouble was probably due to unusually warm weather in 

 March and April, starting evaporation from the leaves while 

 the roots were still frozen in the ground and unable, to readily 

 replace this loss. Possibly part of the trouble may have been 

 caused by the warm, moist weather in January and February 

 and the subsequent colder weather. Plants recently re-planted 

 suffered more than those well rooted. 



HOPS, Humulus japonicus. 



POWDERY MILDEW, Spharotheca Humuli (DC.) Burr. This 

 fungus forms a whitish, powdery growth on the leaves and stems 

 with a mature fruiting stage showing as very small, blackish, 

 crowded specks, chiefly on the under side of the leaves. It was 



