474 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XI, No. io 
In 1892 Ellis and Everhart (75, p. 158) evidently collected the same 
organism on the pods of Phaseolus lunatus at Newfield, N. J., and de¬ 
scribed it as a new species of Phoma, Phoma subcircinata , pointing out 
that it differed from Phoma leguminum West, in the subcircinate arrange¬ 
ment of the pycnidia and the rather larger binucleate sporules. Halsted 
later apparently concurs with Ellis and Everhart that this is a new 
species of Phoma, for in 1901 he (77) refers to the disease again by that 
name and enlarges his earlier description. Two illustrations are ap¬ 
pended to his article, one showing the characteristic appearance of the 
disease on the pods and the other on the leaves, both typical of the trouble 
as we know it at the present time. 
DISTRIBUTION, PREVALENCE, AND LOSS 
For 14 years after this disease was found in New Jersey it had either 
not appeared in any other State or had not been discovered. In 1905, 
however, Clinton (5, p. 265) reports a leaf spot of Phaseolus lunatus at 
New Haven, Conn., apparently the same as that described and illustrated 
by Halsted. He states that he did not observe the disease on the pods, 
but adds that it had not been looked for there. Although agreeing 
macroscopically with Halsted’s description of the disease on the leaves, 
Clinton entertained some doubt of its identity with Phoma subcircinata 
E. and E. because of the fact that the spores averaged larger (5 to 12 
by 2.5 to 3.5 /x) and were occasionally septate. He suggests the pos¬ 
sibility that the fungus may be Ascochyta phaseolorum Sacc. 
In 1912 Cook ( 6 , p. 577-57#) reports a severe outbreak of a disease of 
pole Lima beans in the State of New Jersey caused by Phyttosticta sp., 
which occurs on leaves and to some extent on the pods and stems. The 
following year it was less severe (7, p . 8oi), but in 1914 he (#, p. 4*72) 
reports the disease again as causing much damage, attributing it to 
Phoma subcircinata E. and E. A leafspot caused by Phyttosticta phaseo - 
Una Sacc. was also commonly met with. 
In view of the relatively few times this disease has been reported 
during a period of 25 years, it is evident that it has generally been either 
overlooked or disregarded. This is probably due to the fact that the 
crop is relatively a minor one and that the disease appears usually after 
the low prices do not justify further pickings. It, however, is much 
more widely distributed than the published reports indicate. It was 
reported (unpublished) to the Plant Disease Survey from one locality 
in North Carolina by R. H. Fulton in 1913. The writer received and 
studied specimens of badly infected plants from Maryland in 1914 and 
1915, and from Virginia in 1915. During the seasons of 1914 and 1915 
the disease also caused heavy loss to the crop in New Jersey. In con¬ 
clusion, it may be stated that the disease is rather widely distributed 
along the Atlantic seaboard and causes considerable damage to the crop. 
