November 7, 1902.] 



SCIENCE. 



747 



sponse has been very gratifying, but as the 

 circular was sent with a one cent stamp, it 

 did not reach immediately some of those absent 

 from home during the summer holidays. I 

 shall be glad if those who have received this 

 blank will fill it in and return it to me. It 

 will be necessary to send a second request by 

 letter postage to those who have not replied; 

 but time and money will be saved if those who 

 see this note will be so kind as 'to fill in and 

 return the blank in case they have not already 

 done so. 



The list of those to whom the blank was 

 sent was compiled with care, and includes the 

 members of the scientific societies of the 

 United States requiring research as a qualifi- 

 cation (some fifty), the scientific staffs of the 

 leading institutions of learning (some seventy), 

 the scientific men included in 'Who's Who 

 in America' and others whose names were 

 accessible. There are, however, many con- 

 nected with smaller institutions and in 

 private life, not members of scientific so- 

 cieties, who have published research work of 

 value, and I shall be glad to have assistance in 

 securing their names and addresses. I shall 

 be under obligations to any readers of this 

 journal who have carried on research in the 

 sciences, but who have not received the blank, 

 if they will send me their names ; and I shall 

 be glad to receive the names and addresses of 

 any who have carried on research, but whose 

 names would not be discovered from the lists 

 of societies, larger institutions of learning 

 and existing biographical dictionaries. 



J. McKeen Cattell. 



Garbison-on-Hudson, N. Y. 



SEOBTER ARTICLES. 

 THE PARASITISM OP CEPHALOTHECIUM EOSEUM. 



In discussions of the numerous fungi that 

 are known to cause the rotting of apples and 

 other fruits Gephalothecium rose ttm,Corda, has 

 had but brief mention. It is generally regarded 

 as a saprophyte, and Clinton* reports it as 

 such on badly rotted apples. However, Ader- 



* Clinton, G. P., ' Apple Rots in Illinois,' 111. 

 Agr. Exp. Station Bui. 69: 193. F. 1902. 



hold* observed a case in which it caused a 

 rotting of pears by growing through Fusi- 

 cladium pirinum spots. But it has never been 

 classed as a rot fungus of any economic im- 

 portance. 



In New York State during the past season 

 it has proved to be a true parasite and the 

 cause of an apple rot of great economic im- 

 portance. In some sections of the State thou- 

 sands of barrels of apples have been ruined by 

 it. Apple scab, F iisicladium, dendriticum, has 

 been unusually common this year. In Sep- 

 tember and October it was noticed that on 

 many of the scab spots there appeared a white 

 or pinltish growth which transformed them 

 into brown, sunken, bitter, rotten spots. 

 Upon investigation it was found that this 

 white growth was Gephalothecium roseum, 

 Cda., and inoculations made upon many dif- 

 ferent varieties of apples and pears under anti- 

 • septic conditions, with pure cultures, have 

 proved that it is parasitic, and the cause of 

 the rot. In every inoculation the characteris- 

 tic rot developed while the same number of 

 check fruits remained sound. 



The co mm on occurrence of this fungus upon 

 the Fusicladium spots while it is wholly absent 

 from other portions of the fruit is due to the 

 fact that Fusicladium ruptures the epidermis 

 and thus furnishes a means of entrance for 

 the Cephalotheciam, which could not other- 

 wise attack the fruit, since it appears to be 

 incapable of penetrating the unbroken epider- 

 mis. 



It is often found on apples while still on 

 the trees; but after they have been harvested 

 and left in piles on the ground or barreled 

 and allowed to remain where the sweating 

 process can take place, it has become so 

 abundant on certain varieties as to ruin the 

 fruit for storage. 



Further investigations are in progress; and 

 when completed they will be published in a 



■* Aderhold, Rud., ' Arbeiten der botanischen 

 Abteilung der Versuchsstation des Kgl. pomo- 

 logischen Institvits zu Proskau,' Centralbl. f. Bakt. 

 Parasitenk. u. Infektionskr., II. Abt., 5: 522. 

 1899. 



