OCCURRENCE OF THE CURRANT CANE BLIGHT FUNGUS 
ON OTHER HOSTS 1 
By NEIL E. Stevens, Pathologist , Fruit-Disease Investigations, and Anna E. Jenkins, 
Assistant Mycologist , Office of Pathological Collections , Bureau of Plant Industry, 
United States Department of Agriculture 
INTRODUCTION 
In the practical control of a plant disease caused by a fungus it is obvi¬ 
ously of first importance to know whether the causal organism is confined 
to a particular host or grows, either as a parasite or saprophyte, on other 
hosts in the same locality. In the present paper evidence is presented to 
show that the cane blight fungus, an active parasite on the cultivated 
currant, occurs also on at least two unrelated hosts. 
CURRANT CANE BLIGHT 
The disease of cultivated currants, now generally known as cane blight, 
was first reported more than 30 years ago by Fairchild 2 who found it in 
the Hudson Valley about Highland and Milton, N. Y. Of subsequent 
investigations, the most important is that made by Grossenbacher and 
Duggar 3 in the same region during the period from 1907 to 1911. One 
of the writers has had this disease under observation since 1917 and has 
made culture and inoculation experiments in various parts bf the eastern 
United States. 
The most conspicuous symptom of this disease and the one from which 
its common name is derived is the wilting of the leaves and fruit of infected 
plants. This apparently sudden wilting occurs most frequently during 
the period when the fruit is being matured and is usually caused by the 
‘girdling of the main stem by the fungus which has grown in from a lateral 
branch. 
Infection generally occurs through a terminal or lateral bud and the 
parasite develops basipetally, invading all woody structures. Young 
shoots which have become infected usually die at the distal ends during 
the same season. The growth of the fungus apparently continues 
throughout the growing season during which large branches or even 
main stems may be blighted at any time. However, as stated above, 
the wilting is usually most conspicuous just before the fruit ripens, 
perhaps because of the greater demands on the moisture supply at 
that time. The disease may be recognized with a fair degree of cer¬ 
tainty by the peculiar blackened appearance it gives to the wood and 
pith. So far as has been determined, the roots are not infected. 
The disease is known to occur in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New 
York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Virginia. Cur¬ 
rants are grown only locally in Maryland and Virginia. The disease is 
very serious in New Jersey and has been an important factor in the 
reduction of the currant acreage in that State during recent years. It is 
1 Received for publication Jan. 27, 1924. 
8 Fairchild, D. G. notes on a new and destructive disease of currant canes. (Abstract) Bot. 
Gaz. 16 : 262. 1891. 
8 Grossenbacher, J. G., and Duggar, B. M. a contribution to the life-history, parasitism, and 
biology of botryosphaeria ribis. N. Y. State Agr. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bui. 18 : 115-190, illus. 1911. 
Journal of Agricultural Research, 
Washington, D. C. 
(837) 
Vol. XX VII, No. II 
Mar. 15, 1924 
Key No. G-376 
