[ 8o 4 ] 



indigestion and other forms of human ailment have been 

 traced in some cases to the spores of bunt. When bunt is 

 known to be amongst seed-grain, it should be steeped in some 

 weak germicidal solution before use. "Salt, quicklime slaked 

 with boiling water, permanganate of potash, sulphate of cop- 

 per and sulphate of soda solutions, have been recommended 

 for use. The spores being lighter than water mere steeping 

 of the grain in water is also efficacious, as the excess water 

 afterwards run out usually carries with it all the spores which 

 originally adhered to the grains. 



1.381. Sugar-cane Disease (Trichosphceria sacchari). 

 This sugar-cane disease, due to a fungus, broke out a few 

 years ago in the West Indies and Mauritius, and it 

 has appeared recently in the Godavari District of Madras. 

 The disease was first observed in Barbados in 1893, then in 

 Trinidad, and then in British Guiana. In 1896 it was noticed 

 in the District of Mozuffarnagar in the N.-W. P. 



1.382. The diseased canes are first recognised in July or 

 August by dark red or brown marks on the rind in one or 

 two joints towards the middle or base of the canes. Up to 

 the time of ripening in January or February, the red patches 

 steadily increase in size and number. The fibro-vascular- 

 bundles become less juicy, red and spongy in character. Fine 

 looking thick and soft canes are specially affected. Towards 

 the ripening of the canes black specks begin to appear which 

 burst open from within outwards. These first appear near the 

 roots and then work upwards, and then finally the affected cane 

 shrivels up and dies. The Rind Fungus and Root Fungus, at 

 one time considered different, are only two stages of the same 

 fungus. The yield of sugar from a diseased plantation is 

 very poor and the fungus in its epidemic form does very ex- 

 tended damage to the crop. Juice obtained from diseased 

 canes, takes longer to crystallize. 



1.383. Probably the fungus first makes its entranced the 

 middle of the cane at the spots where the sugar-cane borer 



