1 PEC as ane See een 
1906] CURRENT LITERATURE 65 
RrEp"+ has described three fungous diseases of the cultivated ginseng. 
These diseases are not due to the same fungi reported by VAN Hoox’s as causing 
ginseng diseases in New York. The first of these is a stem anthracnose due to 
Vermicularia dematium. The second is a leaf anthracnose due to Pestalozzia 
juneria. These two diseases he finds may be controlled by spraying with the 
usual Bordeaux mixture. The third disease described is a wilt due to Neocos- 
mospora vasinjecta nivea. This same variety causes a wilt disease of the water- 
melon, while the species itself causes a wilt disease of cotton and the cowpea. 
REED finds that the wilt never occurs except in association with or following an 
attack of the stem anthracnose. In other words, the wilt fungus seems to be able 
to gain entrance to the ginseng plant through the lesions on the stem due to this 
other stem disease. It is also possible that the wilt fungus enters the plant at 
the scar left where the stem of the preceding year fell off. It should be recalle 
in this connection that the cotton and cowpea wilt-fungus enters the host through 
the roots largely after injury by the nematode worm.—E. MEAD WILCox. 
SorAvER’® describes a peculiar disease of Cereus nycticalis Lk. which results 
from proliferation of cells of the inner layers of the cortex. This produces on 
the stems slightly elevated hygrophanous areas which increase in size until they 
occupy a large part of the stem and extend to the wood. These turn brown and 
then black and finally collapse, leaving depressed wounds in the stem. On 
account of the position of the proliferating cells SoRAUER designates these growths 
as “internal intumescences. ” e diseased regions are almost free from starch, 
but they are rich in glucose, which the writer regards as the cause of the unusual 
growth. This condition is brought about by high temperature and excessive 
moisture. When these factors were changed no “‘intumescences” were formed. 
—H. Hassererine. 
The maturation mitoses.—A critical review of the entire subject of the matu- 
ration mitoses in both plants and animals has been prepared by GREGOIRE.*? - 
Part I, dealing with stages from the metaphase of the first mitosis in the mother- 
cell up to the telophase of the second division, contains 155 pages and 147 text 
figures, of which 35 pages and 35 figures relate to sporogenesis in plants, 90 
pages and 112 figures to spermatogenesis and oogenesis in animals, and the 
remaining 30 pages to a comparative study. The space given to animal mitoses 
increases the value of the work to botanists, who are already more or less familiar 
with the botanical literature. At the close of the botanical section the conclusion 
4 ReeEp, H. S., Three fungous diseases of the cultivated ginseng. Bull. Mo. 
Exp. Stat. 69: 41-66. figs. I-9. 1905. : 
*S Van Hook, J. M., Diseases of ginseng. Bull. N. Y. Cornell Exp. Stat. 219: 
163-186. figs. 18-ga. 1904. 
*© SoravER, P., Zeitr. Pflanzenkrankheiten 16:5-10. pl. 2. 1906. 
'7 Gr&corrE, Victor, Les resultats acquirés sur les cinéses de maturation dans 
les deux régnes. Premier mémoi Revue critique de la littérature. La Cellule 
22: 221-346, figs. 147. 1905. 
