The Dry Root-Rot of the Bean 1023 



was inoculated with T. basicola and Fusarium martii phaseoli; row 4 was a 

 check; row 5 was inoculated with F. martii phaseoli; row 6 was a check. 

 The rows were three feet apart and one hundred feet long. They were 

 repeated five times. To eliminate outside rows, buffer rows were planted 

 on either side of the plot. 



The seed, which was a Marrow Pea variety, was planted on June 14. 

 Rain had fallen on the preceding day and the soil contained sufficient 

 moisture to keep the spores of the fungi from being killed by drying. 

 The same quantity of seed was used for each row, and all seeds were 

 inoculated with the legume bacteria before planting. The check rows 

 were covered before the others were inoculated, to avoid any danger of 

 contamination. 



During the summer the plot was cultivated twice and weeded, but it 

 was not hoed. Thus there was little danger of the fungi's spreading 

 from the infected rows to the check rows. When the plants were pulled 

 in the fall no infection was found to have occurred on the check plants. 



Since the season was wet and the plots were located in the low ground, 

 plenty of moisture was retained in the soil. After June 14 rain fell on 

 the following dates: June 15, 18, 19, 20, 23, 26, 27, 28, and 29 — a total 

 precipitation of 3.89 inches. During July rain fell on the following dates: 

 July 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, and 

 29 — a total precipitation of 3.25 inches. In the month of August rain 

 fell on the following days: August 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 22, 

 23, 28, 29, and 30 — a total precipitation of 8.45 inches. In the first 

 half of September there was precipitation on the 1st, 2d, 6th, 7th, 8th, 

 9th, and 10th, with a total of 1.41 inches. Thus it may be seen that the 

 soil was in a moist condition throughout the summer, especially during 

 the critical month of August when the pods are produced. The plants 

 grew rapidly and soon covered the ground. The majority produced a 

 large number of pods, and from the general appearance the inoculated 

 rows could not be distinguished from the check rows. 



When the plants were pulled in the fall, considerable injury was 

 observed on the roots of the plants inoculated with the dry root-rot 

 fungus. In many cases all that remained of the roots was a dried stub, 

 but the parts above ground were apparently healthy. The rows affected 

 with the black root-rot showed more injury than during the dry, hot 

 summer of 1916. Few plants, however, showed serious injury. Those 



