Egg plant rots 
281 
Morphologically, at least, they are identical with the stylospores of 
Nitchke(15) in Diaporthe , the “B” spores of Diedicke(16) in Phom- 
opsis , the scolecospores of Shear (17) and the paraphyses of Reddick (18) 
in Fusicoccum the pycnidial form of Cytosporella viticola. Only failure 
has thus far met the various attempts to germinate these bodies. 
No particular difficulty is experienced in isolating this organism in 
pure culture by the dilution plate method. The conidia germinate within 
24 hours by the formation of one or more germ tubes. Septations are 
formed in these germ tubes at irregular intervals. Within a week, on bean 
agar, a loose whitish or grayish growth of mycelium has been formed. 
This subsequently becomes darker in color and pycnidia are sparsely deve¬ 
loped. These pycnidia bear typical conidia but they themselves differ from 
those formed in the host tissue in that many of them are beaked, the 
neck often being as long or longer than the diameter of the pycnidial cavity. 
Unsuccessful attempts have thus far been made to induce the fungus 
to develop an ascigerous stage both in culture and upon decaying fruits 
and fruit pedicels, which were permitted to be exposed to open air conditions 
during the winter of 1912—13. Cultures were made from the overwintered 
pycnidia on March 25 th . Within 
eight days typical fungus fruits 
had appeared in these cultures. 
This observation is in confir¬ 
mation of Smith’s observations. 
Egg plant fruits, exposed to the 
rigorous winter weather of D e 1 e - 
ware in 1904, possessed viable 
pycnospores in March. These 
facts, besides showing that the 
organism can survive the winter 
in it pycnidial form, increase 
the probability that no asci¬ 
gerous stage ever occurs in its 
cycle of development. 
Host plants: Through the infection experiments of Smith (10), 
Ascochyta hortorum has been shown to be parasitic upon Solanum Melon- 
gena, S. Lycopersicum, S. carolinense, and Datura patula. Voglino (11) 
entended this list to include Solanum nigrum , S. Dulcamara , Physalis 
Alkekengi, Datura Metel, and Atropa Belladorma. He suggests too 
that this fungus is probably the cause of a destructive disease of Peppers 
in Piemont (12) and has also observed it upon green or maturing Tomato 
fruits. Other solanaceous hosts are very probably susceptible to the attacks 
of this fungus. Under Ascochyta hortorum are to be included Phoma 
Solani Halst ed, Ascochyta LycopersiciB runard, A.solanicolaO\JT>EMANNS, 
A. Atropae Bresadola. A. Alkekengi Massalongo, A. physalicola 
Oudemanns, and A. pynzole?isis Bubak and Kab. Other forms, among 
which are species of Phoma on Solanaceae , are beyond doubt to be 
referred to this same form. 
Control measures: As the result of several seasons work in 
New Jersey, Halsted reports that Bordeaux mixture gives very 
satisfactory results in the control of both leaf spot and fruits rot of Egg 
plants. In addition to Bordeaux mixture he used several modifications, 
Fig. 2. a Germination of conidia of Asco¬ 
chyta hortorum\ — b Typical conidia; — 
c Thread like bodies borne in pycnidia 
either alone or with typical conidia (enlarg. 
300 x). 
