85 



iu ami out of the blooming season, and instead of destroying bis bees 

 they have increased from 8 to 17 strong, healthy colonies, and have 

 furnished honey of which he and his family have partaken freely. This 

 conversation with Mr. Yenowine took place on the 23d of June, so that 

 the increase shown was practically that of an unfavorable season. — F. 

 M. Webster. 



NEMATODE INJURY TO CANE-FIELDS IN JAVA. 



In connection with the forthcoming Bulletin 20 of this Division, on 

 Nematode Worms injurious to the roots of plants in Florida, may be 

 given a short notice of an article by Dr. F. Soltwedei on Nematodes 

 working in the roots of sugar- cane in Java, taken from the Agricultural 

 and Horticultural Review of August 1, 1887, which was inclosed by 

 Vice and Deputy Consul Horatio G. Wood, of the United States consu- 

 late at Batavia, with his report to the Department of State, and reprinted 

 with the same in the reports of consuls of this Government for May of 

 the present year. In the remarks on the sugar-cane disease in Java, 

 which form the subject of the report referred to and bear date of March 

 13, 1889, Consul Wood states that a congress composed of planters, ex- 

 porters, and persons interested in the sugar production of Java, has 

 just closed its session at Samarang. The object of this congress was 

 mainly to discuss the cause and cure of the Nematode attacks on the 

 cane-roots, there called the "sereh" disease, which is now spreading 

 most rapidly and disastrously through the cane-fields of western and 

 central Java, having been first discovered on the island only three years 

 ago in plantations near Cheribon, a sea-port town on the north coast 125 

 miles to the eastward from Batavia. The report further states that the 

 congress has subscribed a fund of $90,000 for the purpose of engaging 

 a bacteriologist from Europe to visit the island, investigate the disease, 

 and propose its remedy. The Nematodes reduce not only the quantity 

 of the sugar crop but its quality as well, and the subject is therefore of 

 the utmost importance in cane-growing regions. 



Dr. Soltwedei, in his article, mentions having discovered in the cane 

 roots the following genera, which all belong to the family Anguillulidae : 

 Dorylaimus, only once ; several species of Tylenchus, of which the one 

 found almost always attendant upon the " sereh" disease, seems to be 

 new, and is named by him T. sacchari; and one species of Heterodera, 

 H. javanica, which also seems when it occurs to cause the "sereh" dis- 

 ease, but has so far been discovered in only a few plants. Tylenchus 

 sacchari has been found there also in the roots of sorghum, while several 

 forms of Tylenchus have besides been discovered in the roots of rice 

 and maize, though it can not at present be said with certainty that 

 T. sacchari is among these. Some few observations are made on the 

 latter, and, as nearly as can be ascertained, it feeds only in the young 

 and jnicy rootlets which sprout directly from the stalk, these be- 

 coming its breeding places. A description is given of the male and 



