A Clover Fungus. 



41 



Though the actual loss from this fungus was generally less 

 than it was assessed at in the early spring, there was a 

 decrease in the yield of many clover fields, and it is feared by 

 some that it may become more troublesome in the future and 

 spread throughout the country in course of time. It has not 

 been hitherto recorded as attacking clover plants in this 

 country. Mr. Carruthers is the first authority who has 

 identified it here, although it is believed by some that this is 

 by no means its first appearance in Great Britain, and that 

 abnormal climatic conditions have favoured its unusual 

 development, and attracted attention to its mischief. 



Red clover, alsike, diXidTrifolunii incarnahim were found to 

 be affected by this fungus, and the common yellow clover or 

 trefoil [Medicago lupulina) was also infected. A case of 

 injury to sainfoin was reported, and Mr. Carruthers also 

 stated in his report to the Council of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society that he had received sainfoin suffering from this 

 attack. In France sainfoin is infected by Sclerotinia trifoli- 

 orum^ according to a communication by Professor PrillieuK 

 in the " Bulletin de la Soci^te Mycologique de France " for 

 1892, entitled " Une maladie des sainfoins de la CJiarente 

 Infer ieitre." Rehm, however, in his standard work on this 

 subject, founded on careful research and experimentation*, 

 says that sainfoin plants grown in experimental plots with 

 infected clovers were not attacked by the fungus. Eriksson 

 mentions sainfoin as one of its host plants in Sweden. 

 Rostrup also includes sainfoin in the list of cultivated plants 

 attacked by this Sclerotinia in Denmark, and Dr. Ritzema 

 Bos relates that it appeared upon sainfoin plants at the 

 experiment station at Wageninen, in Holland. It has been 

 noticed that Medicago lupulina^ the yellow trefoil, is espe- 

 cially attacked in this country. Rostrup remarks that this 

 species of clover is the most infected in Denmark and 

 recommends that it should be omitted from clover mixtures.! 

 He found that, next to trefoil, red clover was most frequently 

 attacked, then alsike, and that white clover was the least 



* Die Entwickelungsgeschichte von Peziza cibo7'ioides^ Fries. Emil Rehm. 

 '\Tidsskrift for Landokonomie, — Rostrup, 1890. 



