DISEASES, ETC. 65 



destroys the whole growth of the parasite from the exterior of 

 the pods. These are probably to be regarded as natural enemies 

 of the fungus, and may help in no uncertain way to prevent its- 

 spread. 



The facts of the case are now before us, the enemy is- 

 known ; and it is now quite certain that we are facing no new 

 danger, but one which has long been present, and one which, 

 we have not much cause to fear if proper measures are adopted 

 to secure the destruction of infected material. 



Persons possessing a microscope may compare the material 

 from infected pods with the drawing, of the fungus which I have 

 had made after an illustration in Hartig's work on the diseases 

 of plants. 



It is now clear as I anticipated in a previous report, that 

 the disease is propagated largely in the heaps of decaying 

 material which arise from the opened pods being left upon the- 

 field, and the first measure to be adopted is that all the empty 

 pods must be removed from the plantations and either buried or 

 burned. 



Further study is necessary before anything can be said of 

 Nectria bainii, Massee ; as we are not as yet advised on the 

 extent of its distribution. This fungus being new has been- 

 named by the Kew authorities after Mr. J. P. Bain of Ortinola 

 who was the first to send pods for examination to the office of 

 this Department. On that lot of pods, however, no satisfactory 

 identification of the nature of the disease could be obtained, and 

 it was not until the receipt of other pods that the organisms, 

 were recognized. It was then proved that the fungus could 

 destroy a healthy pod in some six or ■seven daj'S, if inoculated 

 with the conidia from an infected pod ; showing the infectious- 

 character of the disease. From these pods also, the cultures- 

 sent on to Kew were obtained. These proved in the- 

 words of the Director, Sir W. T. Thistleton-Dyer, " excellent 

 material" for the final identification of the organism causing the- 

 disease. It may be mentioned that J'hytophthora omnivora is an 

 organism known long years ago, and has a wide distribution' 

 throughout the world. 



A careful experiment was made with beans from j-ois 

 affected with Phyto/jht/wia and it was fnund that samples of 

 di---efis('d and healthy beans fermented and dried at the sama- 

 time and in the same way, ditiered very uiateri. lly in weights 



