252 



Mycologia 



alienus, Phoniopsis Stezvartii, Psilocybe nigrella, Septoria sedi- 

 cola, Trametes merisma, and Trichosporium variahile. 



A recent bulletin on the subject of " Fire Blight of Pears, 

 Apples, Quinces, etc." (Cornell Univ. Agric. Exper. Sta. Bull. 

 272: 31-51. 1910), by H. H. Whetzel and V. B. Stewart, gives 

 directions for controlling this disease in the orchard. The 

 method may appear complicated and tedious, but those who are 

 acquainted with fire blight will welcome any method, no matter 

 how exacting, that will control it. 



In this connection, it is interesting to note the results of tests 

 made with one of the so-called blight remedies, claimed to render 

 trees immune by the introduction of various substances into the 

 sap. Callahan's Blight Specific was thoroughly tested and proved 

 to be not only worthless as a preventive, but positively injurious, 

 causing heart-rot. The grayish-green powder that was inserted 

 into the trunk according to directions, consisted of sulfur, with 

 a little charcoal to color it and some asafetida to give it an effec- 

 tive odor. The use of such specifics has frequently been recom- 

 mended for chestnut canker. 



"Some Sugar Cane Diseases" (La. Agric. Exper. Sta. Bull. 

 120: 1-28. 1910), by C. W. Edgerton, may be summarized as 

 follows : 



During the past season the sugar planters of Louisiana have 

 had considerable trouble in obtaining good stands of cane. The 

 investigations of the Experiment Station have shown the trouble 

 to be due primarily to several fungous diseases. These diseases 

 have been much more severe this year than in previous years on 

 account of the very dry spring. The dry weather reduced the 

 vitality of the cane and made it more susceptible to the diseases. 



The diseases present in the state are the red rot, caused by 

 Colletotrichum falcatum, the rind disease, due to Melanconium 

 Sacchari, the pineapple disease, due to Thielaviopsis ethaceticus, 

 and the root rot, caused by Marasmius plicatus, one of the gill- 

 fungi. The red rot, rind disease, and root rot are widely dis- 

 tributed over the state, but the pineapple disease is at present only 

 known in one parish. 



