8 
N\ C. Experiment Station 
Cotton anthracnose is caused by the fungus Glomerella gossyjrii. This 
fungus attacks the cotton plant in all stages of its development. If infected 
seed have been planted the seedlings will be attacked and diseased areas 
will appear on cotyledons and stems. If cool, moist weather prevails most 
of the diseased seedlings will perish. More favorable weather conditions 
make it possible for many of the diseased seedlings to survive the attack of 
the fungus and to grow to mature plants. Such plants are, however, not 
free from the disease, but, on the contrary, bear many diseased bolls and 
serve as centers from which neighboring plants may become infected. 
Pi ate 3. Top. Cotton seeds treated in the machine described in this bulletin and 
planted in jars in the greenhouse. 50 seeds were planted in each jar and the picture was 
taken 11 days later. The seed planted in jar 1, had been dried at an average temperature 
of 51° C. for 24 hours then heated at 90° C. for 22 hours. The seed planted in jar 
3 had been dried at 40-45° C. for 24 hours, and subsequently heated at 80° C. for 72 
hours. The seedlings in pot 3 came from a comparable lot of untreated seed. Germination 
was as follows: jar 1, 96 per cent; jar 2, 98 per cent; jar 3, 98 per cent. The treated 
seed germinated as well and produced somewhat more vigorous seedlings than untreated seed. 
Bottom. A close-up view of some of the plants shown in Plate 4. 
While cotton is growing from the seedling to the fruiting stage the fungus 
lives and sporulates on the cotyledons, st6ms, leaves and leaf scars. It 
has recently been reported 16 that anthracnose grows in the nectar glands 
of leaves of infected plants. This may serve as another source of infection 
for bolls which develop later. The greatest and most obvious loss arises 
from damage to the bolls. The fungus grows within the tissues of the 
