32 BULLETIN 486, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 
in fields where they give trouble, to cut the stalks for planting into 
short lengths, 12 to 18 inches, and to drop these pieces in the furrows 
somewhat diagonally or otherwise, so that the ends will not touch. 
Of sugar-cane diseases the one causing by far the greatest damage 
in the United States is the red-rot, caused by the fungus Colleto- 
trichum falcatum. This disease is distributed throughout most of 
the sections where cane is extensively grown. The most serious 
damage from it has been reported from Louisiana and from the 
sections of southern Georgia and northern Florida where large areas 
are devoted to sugar cane. It does not seriously damage the growing 
cane or affect its sugar content, but it has caused great losses in the 
banks or windrows while in storage for spring planting. In recent 
years on some farms it has frequently caused losses ranging from 
25 to 75 per cent of the cane put away. Until the nature of this 
disease, the manner of its propagation, and effective means for its 
control have been better worked out for our climate it is advisable 
to employ ordinary measures of field sanitation, such as (1) to avoid, 
as far as feasible, the devotion of the same area to cane without an 
interim of several years of planting to other crops; (2) putting 
away seed cane from new ground or from areas where there is reason 
to think the infection is not so great; and (3) trimming away the 
badly diseased portions of the stalks at planting time. It should be 
said, however, that it is not at present known to what degree these 
measures are efficient in lessening the damage from red-rot. 
Root-rot {Marasmus sacchari) is responsible in some localities 
for considerable reductions in yields and especially for the dying out 
of stubbles, resulting in a poor stand. In the growing cane that is 
diseased it is noticeable in the earlier stages and in wet weather as 
a slimy growth between the leaf sheaths and the stalks near the ground, 
and later by a cementing of the lower leaf sheaths to the stalks with 
a whitish mold. In putting away seed cane such stalks, or at least 
the affected lower ends of them, should be rejected. 
A number of other dangerous diseases and insect pests of sugar 
cane have appeared in many foreign countries, so that it is unwise 
to bring cane from any foreign country except through approved 
quarantine stations. Recognizing these dangers, the Federal Horti- 
cultural Board has instituted a strict quarantine against cane from 
all foreign countries. Any proposed exceptions to this quarantine 
against individual countries or parts of countries will have to be 
considered by this board on their merits, exemptions being made 
only after it is ascertained that the localities in question are free 
from dangerous diseases and pests or after methods of treatment are 
worked out which can be depended upon to exclude them. For the 
introduction of small quantities of cane of hopeful new varieties 
