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They are certainly bewilderingly numerous. The study of any one of 

 them requires much research, and in no case has such a study been fully 

 carried out. Two remedial methods are especially advocated, rotation of 

 crops, and the breeding of disease-resistant varieties. Neither of these 

 methods is yet much or substantially developed. The disinfection of seed 

 and direct destruction of the germs in the soil have yet scarcely been tried 

 out. Spraying of the crop may be found in some cases to serve a good 

 purpose, but so far not much help has been secured in this direction. 



Soil Fungi Attacking Forage Crops. — A soil disease, which may become 

 a serious enemy of the alfalfa cuop, has been reported from a number of 

 places during the past season. In Clark County, in the southeastern 

 part of the State, eighteen fields were examined during an alfalfa tour, 

 and every one, as reported by Mr. Hutchins, the county agent, was found 

 infested with Sclerotinia tr if olio-rum, a fungus much to be dreaded, that 

 sometimes attacks clover as well. As alfalfa culture is just in its be- 

 ginning in this State the disease presents an important problem. A 

 banker from another part of the State in writing to the Experiment Sta- 

 tion regarding his experience with this disease said in substance : I al- 

 ways thought that the three sure things in this world were death, taxes 

 and alfalfa, but I am afraid that I must leave out alfalfa, possibly quit 

 growing it, on account of the disease. 



Other root diseases caused by Fusarium, Rhisoctonia and Ozonium, 

 as well as less severe leaf diseases, are known to damage the alfalfa 

 crop, and may be expected to increase, unless measures are taken to hold 

 them in check. Outside a rotation of crops little has yet been suggested 

 by way of control for any of these pests. 



Soil Fungi Attacking Grain. — In seeking the cause why grain, es- 

 pecially wheat, does not yield as well as it once did, and as everyone be- 

 lieves it should continue to do, there is no longer any doubt that much 

 stress should be laid upon soil fungi, especially species of Fusarium, 

 Macrosporium, Altema-ria, Helminthosporium and Colletotrichum. These 

 fungi, sometimes one of them at a time, sometimes more than one, attack 

 the roots of the grain, and work their way into the upper parts of the 

 plant, the stem, leaves and heads. If the attack is light the grain is some- 

 what less vigorous than it otherwise would be, and the harvest correspond- 

 ingly lighter, but there is no appearance of disease. Fusarium sometimes 

 becomes so active that it causes what is called scab, or pink mold, and 



