Jan. 26,1-924 
The Black-Bundle Disease of Corn 
203 
might be used in estimating loss whenever survey data are at hand. The 
second shows the reduction in yield due to selecting seed ears from purple- 
stalked plants (19.7 per cent), and, therefore, the advisability of avoiding 
selection of seed ears from stalks exhibiting this symptom. 
Cephalosporium acremonium has been found closely associated with 
this group of symptoms and has produced many of these symptoms by 
pure culture inoculations. Another symptom brought out more strongly 
by artificial inoculations is an increase in suckering. 
The disease caused by this organism is seed-borne and vascular. 
Therefore, when experimenting with this particular organism, the black¬ 
ened fibro-vascular bundles were considered the most distinguishing 
characteristic. Purpling, prolific stalks, barren stalks, nubbin ears, and 
suckering were noted as being closely associated. 
The organism enters the seed through the vascular system and lives 
within it until placed under conditions favorable for germination. Gener¬ 
ally it does not inhibit germination or affect the early vigor. It specifi¬ 
cally affects grain production and a general blighting sets in near the end 
of the growing season. 
In one inoculation experiment comprising more than 3,000 plants of 
Yellow Dent com and designed to give reliable yield data, the half 
inoculated with a pure culture of Cephalosporium acremonium produced 
11.4 per cent less in total yield and 20.0 per cent less in marketable com 
than the other half used as a control. The inoculated com showed also 
increases of 144.8 per cent in number of suckers, 55 per cent in purple 
stalks, 114.3 per cent in prolific stalks, 42.4 per cent in nubbin ears, and 
55.1 per cent in barren stalks. 
Inoculations of a number of strains of Yellow Dent corn have shown 
different degrees of susceptibility. Even very susceptible strains of this 
com may react differently to invasions of this organism as reflected in 
their outward characteristics. 
To reduce losses from this disease it is well to avoid selection of seed 
ears from stalks having any of this group of symptoms. Probably the 
best measure of control will come with the development of resistant 
strains of corn within the varieties. Preliminary seed treatment experi¬ 
ments, not yet ready to be reported in this paper, offer promise of con¬ 
trol of this disease. 
LITERATURE CITED 
(1) Bainier, Georges 
1907. MYCOTH^QUE DE l’ECOLE DE PHARMACIE.—XVII. GLIOCLADIUM ROSEUM 
■' SP. NOV. ET CEPHALOSPORIUM ACREMONIUM (CORDA). In Bui. SoC. 
Mycol. France, v. 23, p. 112-114, pi. 15. 
(2) Blackwell, C. P. ^ _ 
1918. report op the division op agronomy. In S. Car. Agr. Exp. Sta., 31st 
Ann. Rpt. 1917/8, p. 18-20. 
(3) Bonorden, H. F. _ 
1851. HANDBUCHDER ALLGEMEINEN MYKOLOGIE... XU, 336 p., 12 pi. Stuttgart. 
Literatur, p. ix-x. 
(4) Branstetter, B. B. ' 
1922. pungi internal to Missouri seed corn op 1921. In Jour. Amer. Soc. 
Agron., v. 14, p. 354-3 57 - Literature cited, p. 357. 
(5) Buchanan, R. E. 
1911. MORPHOLOGY OP THE GENUS CEPHALOSPORIUM WITH DESCRIPTION OP A 
NEW SPECIES AND a variety. In Mycologia, V. 3, p. 170-174, pi. 50-51. 
( 6 ) Burtt-Davy, Joseph 
1914. MAIZE, ITS HISTORY, CULTIVATION, HANDLING AND USES, WITH SPECIAL 
REPERENCE TO south aprica... xl, 831 p., 245 fig., port. London, 
etc. Bibliography, p. 803-819. 
