NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



533 



{Praepodius amabilis) is a large weevil, common in North America. It lays its 

 eggs on the crown of the plant and the grubs gnaw their way down to the roots. 

 The infested plants must be dug up and destroyed. A small weevil {Tylo- 

 derma fragariae) has habits similar to the above. " Buttoning " or " Strawberry 

 Blight " is caused by black thrips. The larvae of the Sawfly (Emphytus macu- 

 latus) eat the leaves of the plants. They are killed by spraying with lead arsenate. 

 The Strawberry Weevil {Rhinaria perdix) lays its eggs in the centre of the plant 

 and the larvae bore into the woody tissue. Trap the beetles under pieces of board. 

 Dig up infested plants. The Shining Cockchafer (Anoplognathus analis) lays 

 its eggs in the soil. The larvae feed on the roots of the plants. Dressings 

 with kainit or sodium nitrate damage the larvae and also promote the growth 

 of the rootlets. Carabid Beetles attack the ripe fruit. They may be caught 

 in tins sunk in the ground. The ripe strawberries are also attacked by the 

 Harlequin Fruit Bug (Dindymus versicolor), the Brown Ground Bug (Dictyotus 

 plebejus), the Rutherglen Bug (Nysius vinitor), and the Coon Bug (Oxycarenus 

 lectidarins). Spraying has no effect on these pests, but they may be driven away 

 by passing clouds of smoke over the strawberry beds. — 5. E. W. 



Strawberry-Clover Seed. By W. M. Came {Agr. Gaz. N.S.W. vol. xxvi. pp. 

 313, 314). — The germination of Strawberry Clover seed may be greatly increased 

 by placing the seed on a flat stone slab and passing over it a piece of stone about 

 2 lb. in weight, without pressure. — S. E. W. 



Streptoearpus x Taylori (Gard. Chron. Nov. 6, 1916, p. 293 ; with fig.). — 

 A handsome plant producing 6-10 inflorescences, each carrying 10-20 flowers, 

 chiefly rose-mauve. The parentage is S. achimeniflorus albas x S. denticulatus 

 It was raised at Kew. — E. A. B. 



Streptoearpus denticulatus {Bot. Mag. tab. 8632). — Transvaal. Family Gesneria- 

 ceae. Tribe Cyrtandreae. Herb, stemless, with one leaf, which is an enlarged 

 persistent cotyledon, ovate, 8 in. long by 7 in. wide, glabrous. Inflorescence 

 clustered, many-flowered, 9-10 in. in height. Corolla rose-purple, § in. across. 



G. H. 



Sugar Beet, Phoma Betae on the Leaves of. By V. W. Pool and M. B. 

 McKay {Jour. Agr. Res. iv. pp. 169-177, May 1915 ; plates). — The identity of this 

 fungus with Phyllosticta Betae and P. labifica is pointed out. Light-brown spots, 

 sometimes showing concentric rings of growth, are produced on beet foliage. 

 The seed appears to provide the most usual means of disseminating the fungus. 



F.J. C. 



Sugar Beets, Seedling Diseases of, and their Relation to Root-rot and Crown- 

 rot. By H. A. Edson {Jour. Agr. Res. iv. pp. 135-168, May 1915 ; plates). — 

 The author finds Phoma Betae a troublesome fungus attacking roots of beet ; 

 it is identical with Phyllosticta Betae, but this leaf form does comparatively little 

 damage. The source of original infection is usually the seed. Under favourable 

 conditions of cultivation plants attacked by this fungus or Rhizoctonia may 

 recover, but the other two fungi mentioned below usually bring about fatal 

 results. When the Phoma attack, which occurs primarily in the seedling stage, 

 is arrested the fungus remains dormant in the host, but it occasionally develops 

 a black rot of the growing beets and more frequently appears in the store. If 

 the root is not destroyed the seed-stalk and the mature seed may both be infected. 

 Cultural conditions suitable to the host, and seed treatment to secure fungus- 

 free seeds, are the best methods of dealing with the trouble. Pythium Debaryanum 

 attacks young roots throughout the vegetative period, but seedlings still in the 

 seed may be attacked and typical damping off may be produced. Rhizoctonia 

 sp. (= Corticium vagum var. Solani?) produces a form of disease unknown in 

 Europe, but causes a root-rot of economic importance in America, where the con- 

 ditions of climate and cultivation appear to favour it. The fungus appears 

 to be identical with the Rhizoctonia (= Hypochnus Solani) which attacks potatos 

 in England, but beet is not known to be attacked by that fungus here. 

 An undescribed species of fungus belonging to the Saprolegniaceae was 

 found causing damping off of young seedlings. This fungus has been referred 

 to by the author as Aphanomyces laevis, but he now points out that it differ 

 morphologically from that fungus. Rhizopus nigricans does not attack actively- 

 growing beets, but dormant beets and dead tissue are likely to be attacked, and a 

 peculiar light-brown decay, flabbiness, and the formation of pockets filled with an 

 almost colourless fluid rich in acetic acid are then produced. — F. J. C. 



Sugar-beet Seedlings and Phoma Betae. By H. A. Edson {Jour. Agr. Res. v. pp. 

 55-57, Oct. 4, 1915 ; plates). — The author has shown that most sugar-beet seeds 

 are likely to be infected with the fungus Phoma Betae. He now finds that the 



