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THE CUBA REVIEW. 

 BLOOM BLIGHT OF MANGO IN CUBA. 



The Disease Attacks Native and Other Varieties and Damages the Leaves. — 



Bordeaux Mixture a Remedy. 



To the Editor of tlie Cuba Rc-vicw: 



It has been presented to us recently the opportunity of noticing diseases at 

 the Cuban Agricultural Experiment Station at Santiago de las Vegas, which cause 

 great damage to mango leaves and blossoms, attacking the native and other varieties 

 of this fruit. 



The disease shows on the leaves (see illustration) as small spots from 1 to 6 

 millimeters in diameter, with round borders, chestnut brown in color with a gray 

 center. It is also found in the central vein and along it in the leaves. These 

 diseased spots are caused by the fungus known as the Pestalozzia funerea, Desm. 



But it is in the blossoms that the most damage is done. Just as soon as the 

 blossoms of infected trees begin to open they rot, taking a black color. They then 

 dry up and fall off, leaving only the central stem, wliich also soon dries up and 

 serves to indicate where the damage was done. 



The disease which attacks the blossoms (see illustration) is produced by the 

 fungus Glocosporium mangiferae, discovered by G. Delacroix, of France, in 1905, 

 on leaves sent from the Antilles. It was identified for us by Mrs. F. W. Patterson, 

 of the United States Department of Agriculture; in 1906 was reported by the Florida 

 Experiment Station as causing damage to mango, but was known there since 1893. 

 In Cuba probably it has existed and done much damage in preceding years to judge 

 by its prevalence now, which is indicated by the fact that nearh- all the mango trees 

 that we have observed between the Experiment Station grounds and Havana are 

 infected with the disease; other places have not been inspected, due to our peculiar 

 conditions. 



<i.) Mango blossoms when first attacked by the fungus Glocosporium mangiferae, G. Del. 



(2). Appearance of the central stems of the blossoms after the attacks of the same fungus. 



(3.) A mango leaf showing on it the spots produced bv another fungus, the Pestalozzia funerea, 

 Desm. 



