306 [October, 1912. 



Early yellow, King Philip, Longfellow, Long Yellow Flint, Vilmorine 

 Early, Yellow Cango, Thorough-bred White Flint and White Cango. 



Dent Maize- 

 There are 300 odd varieties composing this class and the starchy sub- 

 stance occupies the entire centre and cap of the kernel. The "dent," from 

 which these varieties obtain their name, is formed by the shrinkage of the 

 top part of the kernel in drying at maturity. Wherever dent varieties 

 can be grown they are more profitable than any others, except of course 

 under special conditions. The length of the growing season varies from 

 90 to 150 days. Two cubic feet of maize in the ear will produce, if sound 

 and dry, one bushel or 56 lbs, of shelled maize. 



A NEW DISEASE OF TEA. 



In the Botanical Magazine for August 1912, Messrs. Ito and Sawada 

 describe a new leaf disease which has been recently discovered in Honshu 

 and Formosa. It is caused by a species of Exobasidium (Exobasidium 

 reticulatum), and in that respect resembles the well-known " Blister 

 Blight" of Northern India. In Honshu, it is said to be one of the most 

 serious diseases with which the tea planters have to deal. It appeals 

 early in the season, when the leaves are just unfolding, and in some dis- 

 tricts has caused a loss of twenty per cent, on the fiist picking; some 

 plantations were affected to such an extent that scarcely any of the young 

 leaves were free from disease spots. 



The first indication of the disease is a small pale yellow spot on the 

 surface of the leaf, which, wheu held up to the light, is seen to contain a 

 network of darker lines. The spot is not clearly limited in outline, is 

 irregular in shape, and increases until it attains a diameter of two or 

 three centimetres, though sometimes it covers the whole of the surface of 

 the leaf. The colour of the upper surface gradually changes to brown, 

 and finally to dark brown, while the under surface assumes a gray, dusty 

 appearance. As the spots mature, the dark reticulated lines are slightly 

 raised above the leaf surface, which finally splits and discloses a white 

 network of fungus tissue. This tissue gradually turns brown from the 

 centre outwards, and the affected area of the leaf becomes dry and 

 shrivels up. 



The disease differs from the Indian Blister Blight in the colour and 

 shape of the spot, the absence of any " blistering," and the presence of the 

 white reticulation on the under surface. 



T. P. 



RAINFALL IN THE CENTRAL PROVINCES, INDIA. 



There was a decrease in the rainfall iu the month of June. The fall in 

 the West and East of the Central Provinces was one-seventh and one- 

 quarter, respectively, with the result that sowings of cotton were re- 

 stricted somewhat. GDod rain fell over the Provinces in July. 



