602 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXXI, No. 7 
Table II, 5 compiled from the reports of the food-products in¬ 
spectors of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, United States 
Department of Agriculture, for 1920, presents in a concise form the . 
damage sustained by that part of the carrot crop which was inspected 
in our principal markets. Practically half of the cars inspected 
showed more or less decay (watery soft rot) due to Sclerotinia. The 
range up to 100 per cent infection in advanced stages shows how 
serious the ravages of this fungus may be. 
Table II .—Prevalence of Sclerotinia watery soft rot of carrot as determined by 
food-products inspectors of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, United States 
Department of Agriculture, 1920 
Origin of ship¬ 
ment 
Num¬ 
ber of 
cars in¬ 
spected 
Num¬ 
ber of 
cars 
with 
decay 
Aver¬ 
age 
per¬ 
cent¬ 
age of 
decay 
Date of 
inspection 
Market where 
inspected 
Per¬ 
cent¬ 
age of 
decay 
Remarks 
1920 
California 
7 
3 H 
14 
Mar. 31 
St. Louis.. 
12 to 15 
June 30 
Chicago_ 
3 to 5 
July 1 
St. Paul_ 
20 to 30 
Aug. 9 
New Orleans. _ 
10 to 15 
One-third of car. 
Illinois. __ 
4 
4 
52 
Dec. 17 
Boston_ 
4 
Dec. 20 
Chicago_ 
25 to 30 
Large pits at stem. 
...do_ 
:do_ 
75 to 100 
Advanced stage. 
—do. 
.do_ 
90 
Do. 
Louisiana.. 
2 
2 
55 
Mar. 16 
_do_ 
80 to 90 
June 17 
Detroit.- 
25 
With Rhizopus rot, worst in 
upper tiers. 
Mississippi... 
1 
1 
45 
June 18 
Minneapolis. _ 
40 to 50 
Decay in tops. 
New York_ 
20 
4 
10 
May 6 
Washington.. _ 
5 
Nov. 1 
New York_ 
15 to 20 
Nov. 9 
_do_ 
15 
Nov. 13 
Pittsburgh_ 
3 to 5 
Ohio 
2 
1 
22 
Dec. 9 
_do.. _ 
20 to 25 
Oregon.... 
2 
2 
20 
Jan. 12 
New Orleans.. 
25 to 30 
Feb. 9 
Minneapolis. _ 
10 to 15 
Texas 
3 
2 
20 
May 4 
St. Louis __ . 
2 
May 28 
Chicago.. 
25 to 50 
In tops. 
Unknown._ ... 
11 
4 
24 
Feb. 16 
New York_ 
15 
Mar. 17 
Pittsburgh- 
15 
Oct. 29 
-do-- 
15 to 20 
With slimy soft rot. 
Nov. 30 
Washington... 
35 to 60 
With gray mold rot and 
Rhizopus rot. 
Total number of cars inspected--- 52 
Total number of cars with watery soft rot- 
Similar figures for the lettuce crop of 1920 show that of 613 cars 
inspected, 108 had decay due to Sclerotinia. In 36 of these cars, 
between 75 and 100 per cent of the heads were infected. These 
heads are not usually a total loss, but any considerable amount of 
infection necessitates severe trimming before the product can be 
placed on the market. In the cars showing Sclerotinia decay that 
were shipped from the eight leading lettuce-producing States during 
1920, an average of 54 per cent of the heads was affected. 
Watery soft rot is also one of the most severe transit rots of celery. 
About half of the car-lot shipments which the Bureau of Agricultural 
Economics is called upon to inspect show more or less of this decay. 
In 1920 more than 365 cars were inspected, and of this number 207 
« Haskell, R. J., and Wood, J. I. diseases of field and vegetable crops in the united states in 
1920. U. S. Dept. Agr., Bur. Plant Indus., Plant Disease Surv. Bui. Sup. 16, p. 271, table 100. 1921. 
(Mimeographed.) 
