246 
Pilzkrankheiten der Pflanzen 
wide plugged test-tubes, the wood being kept moist by a pad of cotton¬ 
wool saturated with water. After about two months the mycelium made 
its appearance and gradually spread over the surface, forming generally 
in older cultures a white felt-like mass of very fine hyphae. Later this 
became brown in color, produced oidia and exuded a brown watery 
liquid. By making mycelial tranfers it was found that the mycelium grew 
on the wood of lime, sycamore, horse-chestnut and very feebly on that 
of pine. Ultimately, peculiar, branched or unbranched sterile fructifications 
showing no signs of pileus or basidium formation were produced. Cultures 
kept in darkness usually developed a more abundant mycelium than those 
in light. The growth of the mycelium was slow on elm-wood agar and 
glycerine. The spores germinated in hanging drops of solutions rich in 
nitrogenous substances. Germination was slow but the penetration of 
hyphae into wood blocks could be traced after four to six weeks. The 
penetration of the wood was comparatively slow. “Inoculations were also 
made on living elm trees, using both mycelium and spores, on new and 
old wound surfaces. The mycelium again penetrated slowly as determined 
by cutting sections in the region of inoculation. Infection seemed to take 
place more readily in autumn and winter than in spring and summer, 
while old wound surfaces and especially dead twigs were easily attacked. ,r 
J. Ramsbottom (London). 
TAKAHASHI, Y., On the Sclerotim'a-dise&ses of Rosaceous fruit 
trees in Japan (MiYABE-Festschrift 1911, 135—155; 2 col. pi.). — 
[Japanese.] 
An account is presented of investigations carried on during 1907 to 
1909 on the Sclerotinia - diseases of various Rosaceous fruit trees in 
Japan, particularly in Hokkaido. The author studied more especially 
the blossom blight of the apple due to a Monilia-iimgus indigenous 
to Japan and the cherry disease caused by Sclerotinia KusanoiY . Henn., 
and these fungi are described in detail. 
The blossom blight of the apple, as a rule, first appears before the 
flower opens as a brown spot on the very young leaves, especially on 
those surrounding the flower cluster. Then the fungus attacks the flower 
clusters, which in consequence wilt, become dried, and eventually fall off. 
The disease extends from the affected flower stalk into the twig, where¬ 
by causing considerable injury to the trees. The Monilia-fxmgus appearing 
upon these affected parts is generally inconspicuous, being powdery, 
whitish or faintly greyish in colur, and consisting of tufts of a very small 
number of simple or more or less branched conidiophores. The Conidia 
are lemon-shaped, hyaline, continuous, 10.5—16.5x7.5—12.0 ju, provided 
with disjunctors about 2 ^ long. 
The fungus was supposed to invade the flower through its stigma, 
but the investigation of the author has shown that the flower stalk is 
first affected and that the fungus directly attacks that part. It has been 
also ascertained that the parasite is incapable of infecting the ripening 
fruits of apple (and pear). It is stated that, although repeatedly fresh 
conidia were inoculated into cuts on the skin of these fruits, the result 
was always negative. 
The fungus grows well upon culture media such as sterilized potato, 
producing abundance of conidia and microconidia, but not forming distinct 
