34a EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



this disease caused much rotting of tubers, owing to the wet 

 condition of the soil, and the loss from this source among stored 

 potatoes has been heavy. This condition is likely to seriously 

 affect the quality of seed potatoes next spring. Potato scab 

 was more prevalent than during the preceding few years, per- 

 haps in part because of the greater number of amateur growers 

 and the poor "seed" planted. Rhizoctonia of potato, though 

 common, did relatively little damage. "Seed" disinfection as 

 partial insurance against scab and Rhizoctonia is now generally 

 practiced by experienced growers. 



Bean anthracnose was everywhere in evidence on seedling 

 plants early in the summer, but for the most part, owing to the 

 dry period which followed, the disease did not progress, and 

 was serious on the pods only in wet locations and in the island 

 counties. Field experiments conducted by the department to 

 determine the efficacy of various fungicidal spraying materials 

 against this disease were without determinable results because 

 of failure of the disease to develop. Stem and root rots of 

 beans, caused by Fusarium and Rhizoctonia were of more fre- 

 quent occurrence than usual, especially on wet and sour soils. 

 These diseases present control problems of considerable im- 

 portance, and should receive attention in the near future. 



The onion crop suffered from a Macrosporium blight of the 

 tops and Botrytis and bacterial rot of the bulbs, all of which 

 apparently found favorable environment in the hot, wet period 

 of August. The crop continued to rot badly in storage. The 

 plans of the department include active investigation of onion 

 diseases in 1918. 



Fruit crops were as a rule freer than usual from disease. 

 Peach leaf curl was, however, somewhat more abundant, though 

 usually on trees not receiving a dormant spray. It is hoped 

 that more growers in this State will adopt the practice of ap- 

 plying the dormant spray in the fall. This has proved success- 

 ful where tried, and has several advantages over early spring 

 spraying. When left until late winter or early spring there is 

 always danger that a warm period may send the leaf curl 

 fungus into the bud tissues beyond reach of the fungicide, and 

 this probably explains occasional failures to control the disease 

 by dormant spraying. 



