CHLOROTIC CORN. 
(A PROGRESS REPORT.) 
W. H. DAVilS. 
During the last few years, much attention has been given to 
a plant disease known as chlorosis. This disease has been de- 
scribed in many plants, the most which are of economical im- 
portance, as Mosaic of Tobacco (6) “White Pickle,” Peach yel- 
lows, etc. 
Chlorotic corn plantlets have been noticed by growers for a 
number of years but very little work if any has been published, 
concerning this disease in corn. Kernels from an ear of Reid’s 
yellow dent corn were planted, and about one-third of the 
plantlets were chlorotic either throughout the whole plant or 
some of the lower leaves. This observation led to a second 
planting from the same ear. On December 13, 1916, fifty ker- 
nels from this ear were planted in compost soil in the green- 
house. Eleven plantlets out of thirty-eight were chlorotic ; 
four had no chlorophyll; three had the first leaf (above the 
sheathing leaf) chlorotic ; the other four varied, having two to 
three chlorotic leaves. The following questions now arise. Is 
this disease transferable wdien other plants come in contact with 
diseased leaves ? Can it be transferred by aphids through trans- 
ferring quantities of sap? How serious is this disease to corn 
plantlets ? 
On January 14, 1917, the plantlets that -were chlorotic were 
loosely bound in contact with chlorotics. Proper care was taken 
against transferring the organism by aid of a string or by per- 
sonal contact. Marked surfaces of leaves on chlorotic plants 
were washed with sterile water then pierced with a sterilized 
needle. This needle was then used to transfer the supposed or- 
ganism and the fluid by piercing a washed surface on a marked 
leaf of a non-chlorotie plant. Five of such transfers were made 
on each of five non-chlorotic leaves on five plantlets. Proper pre- 
cautions were observed in flaming the needles, tweezers and not 
handling with hands. In six weeks and two days after planting, 
all four of the chlorotic plants had died and wilted to the ground. 
