89 
«isease; if the roots are broken, or a wound made in the bulb, and 
afterwards powdered with the spores, the disease showed itself within a 
a few days, and was in due course followed by the characteristic fruit of 
‘the fungus. It was invariably found that, however much bulbs were 
mutilated, and then inoculated with fungus spores, that submergence 
for a few minutes in a 1 per cent. solution of salicylic acid, or corrosive 
-sublimate prevented the disease; in other words, all fa ungus spores 
ming in contact with the above-named solutions are destroyed, 
Boe the vitality of the bulbs thus treated is not at all affected. 
Dr. Halstead has described* a somewhat similar disease, called * soft- 
fon j 
‘already descri in requiring a somewhat lengthened period of rest 
before they ER, by this 1 means tiding the fungus over i period 
of the year not suitable for its growth, and germinating when favour- 
-able conditions, climatic and otherwise, return. During this Pup. <4 
‘rest, the zygospores remain in the soil, or attached to the substance 
which they were produced. The m inute spores pests deroribed, 
an 
enable the plant to extend its area of distribution; and as these spores 
are produced very quickly, and in immense numbers, it can 
understood how rapidly the disease spreads when once introduced into 
E given locality. 
e fungus causing the lily bulb disease, although allied to Rhizopus 
ies irme is quite distinct from this and every other known species, and 
may be characterised as follows :—- 
RHIZOPUS NECANS (n. sp.). 
Hyphis sterilibus continuis conglomeratis ab se tenuibus candidis ; - 
hyphis sporangiferis e ite simplicibus vel interdum furcatis 3-6-fasci- 
eulatis continuis flavo-brunneis 20-25 uh dui irca 2 mm. "ditis basi 
stolones longos émififontUns; sporangiis globosis circa 250 iam. 
brunneo-nigris opacis glabris; columella subglobosa.; sporis ase 
minutissime striatis 5-6 p diam. pallide oiivattene bruit is; zygosporis 
doliformibus 100-120 » diam, hispidis subnigris 
arasitic on bulbs of various species of Lilium. 
JAPAN, 
SUMMARY, 
The lily bulb disease is caused by a parasitic fungus called Rhizopus 
necans. 
The fungus cannot penetrate the gers tissues of ton: ball but 
gains an entrance t throu h wounds, 
The spores of Rhizopus necans are killed by a short immersion in a 
1 per cent. solution of corrosive sublimate or of salicylic acid. 
* New Jersey Agric, Coll. Expt, Station, Bull, n. 76. 
A 2 
