DISEASES OF CULTIVATED PLANTS 379 
BLACKBERRY 
Anthracnose. The anthracnoses of blackberry and raspberry (Colletotrichum 
venetum Speg.) are idential and are described under the raspberry. 
Leaf-Spot. This disease is also common to the blackberry and the rasp- 
berry, although the latter is less commonly attacked. This fungus (Sepforia 
Rubi West) is conspicuous upon the wild growth and upon the trailing dew- 
berries; it produces, usually, small, light-gray spots in the leaves and yields to 
treatment with the standard fungicides. (See Ohio Exp. Sta. B. IV, 6, and 
B. 79). 
Crown Gall. Is apparently of a similar contagious nature to that of the 
raspberry.It is of like appearance, though the galls at the crown of the plant are 
often larger. A plant once attacked is incurable, and offshoots from it appear 
to be generally affected, thus calling for immediate digging and burning of all 
the diseased canes and the abandonment of propagation from such plantations. 
(See raspberry crown gall). 
Red Rust or Bramble Rust ( Cacoma nitens Schw.) is a well known disease of 
the wild and cultivated blackberries, which also attack raspberries. It causes 
the affected leaves to turn first yellowish in color, remain erect in position, and 
finally to become bright red with-an abundant coating of the spores of the rust 
fungus. These spores are readily scattered and may thus affect previously 
healthy plants. The threads of the rust fungus (mycelium) live year after year 
in the affected plants. For this reason the only remedy is to dig and burn all 
members of the rusted stools. (See Bulletin 79). : 
Root Diseases. Recent examinations of blackberry plantations show root 
diseases of undetermined cause. The affected roots show brown spots as if 
parasitized and the growth is seriously curtailed. Recent conditions in black- 
berry plantations indicate root parasites since sections of the roots become 
discolored and the growth of the canes is checked. These have not been suffic- 
iently investigated for exact determination at this time. 
BLUE-GRASS 
Anthracnose. In the summer of 1908 the anthracnose fungus of wheat, rye, 
oats and other grasses ( Colletotrichum cereale Manns) was discovered on blue- 
grass in Ohio. This shows as black spots on the stems and basal sheaths, and 
will evidently survive on this pasture grass. The injury is greater upon wheat, 
rye, oats and clover, under which illustrations are given, than upon blue-grass. 
Bacterial Blight of Head. In a recent bulletin from this department 
(No. 210), Manns has described the organisms of blade blight in oats and has 
reported a head blight in blue-grass and timothy caused by them. In this case 
the bacteria appears to enter the upper sheath and cause a lesion above the 
upper joint. This ends in the death and the drying up of the heads. 
Powdery Mildew. The foliage of the blue-grass is attacked by the conidial 
stage of the wheat mildew (Zrysiphe graminis DC). This fungus gives little 
evidence of injury, though its presence is certainly of beneficial and the 
perithecia of the parasite are not common on this host. 
Rust. Blue-grass is likewise attacked by a rust (Puccinia graminis) which 
is general on grasses. 
Smuts. A smut fungus (Ustilago striaeformis West.) attacks the blades of 
blue-grass though it is possibly not often very injurious. 
BROOM-CORN 
Smuts. Of these there are two, head smut (Ustilago Retliana Kuhn.) and 
grain smut (Cintractia Sorghi-vulgaris (Tul.) Clinton), the latter of which is pre- 
vented by treating seed for 15 minutes in hot water at 135 degrees F. and drying 
