THE ONION-SMUT. 165 



which afterwards becomes blackish, and which is found prin- 

 cipally on the seed-stalks. Of this disease wo have seen 

 no specimens, and cannot, of course, tell whether it is caused 

 by a fungus or not. As it is said to occur in midsummer, and 

 at rather dry seasons, we might suppose that, if caused by any 

 fungus, it would probably be some species of Erysiplie. Mr. 

 Ware is certain that the disease is more likely to occur in 

 plants which have been bruised or handled so that the 

 powdery coat, the glaucous covering of the leaves, has been 

 removed. It is not impossible, judging from Mr. Ware's 

 description, that it may be the same disease which is known 

 in Europe to be caused by Peronospora Schleideniana ; at any 

 rate, it needs farther investigation. 



The second of the diseases described by Mr. Ware is the 

 smut, as it is called in Massachusetts and Connecticut. It 

 occurs at Marblehead and at several localities in Essex County, 

 Mass., and, according to Mr. Ware, it has been known for a 

 number of years at Danvers, where pnions have been largely 

 cultivated. Mr. Ware agrees with the statements of Messrs. 

 Wells and Sherwood as to the early period at which the smut 

 attacks the onion-plants, and says that, in some cases, the 

 seedling continues to grow until the bulb has reached a 

 diameter of about two inches, when the bulb as well as the 

 leaves are affected by the smut ; usually, however, if the bulb 

 attains any size, it is not smutty throughout, but only in 

 portions. The disease is first recognized by the appearance 

 of a black substance in the central part of the leaves, the 

 epidermis of which is soon ruptured, showing the centre of 

 the leaf to consist of a black powder, traversed by a few 

 stringy fibres. 



If we consider the question, How long has the disease 

 called the onion-smut been known in New England? we must 

 come to the conclusion, if we can trust the different agricult- 

 ural journals, that it is of recent origin. We limit the 

 consideration of the question to New England, because, with 

 the exception of certain parts of New York,* we cannot learn 

 that the disease prevails in other parts of our country ; at 

 least an examination of the different state agricultural reports 



* We learn, however, from Mr. C. H. Peck, State Botanist of New York, that he 

 is not aware that the disease occurs in that State. 



