A SERIOUS LETTUCE DISEASE. 
95 
Delaware, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Washington, and Iowa, and a par¬ 
tially verified record of its occurrence in Virginia exists. While not 
definitely recorded from other States, it probably occurs in many of 
them, particularly near the Atlantic seaboard. 
Fig. 4. —Map showing distribution of sclerotiniose in the United States. The disease is defin¬ 
itely reported in shaded States, but is not known to occur in others. 
From what is known of the disease it is certain that it persists long 
and multiplies in territory once infected, and rapidly invades new 
regions. It is therefore increasing the area under its tribute yearly, 
and will continue to become of wider significance, especially as the 
lettuce industry broadens. 
Summarizing the history of Scleriotiniose it may he said to have 
attracted attention first about 1890 in Massachusetts, in 1896 in Flor¬ 
ida, in 1897 in North Carolina, in 1904 in Wisconsin, and to now 
possess practically the whole Atlantic seaboard and some of the more 
western States. 
Amount of Damage. 
The extent of the damage varies with the severity of the epidemic 
and with the value of the crop affected. In 1900 in Massachusetts 
Stone and Smith 17 placed the proportion of plants succumbing to the 
disease at 15 to 85 or 95 per cent, of the crop. “The latter percent¬ 
ages are very exceptional, as growers are not content to experience 
this loss more than once without making radical changes in their 
methods. Practically entire crops have been destroyed by drop alone 
to our knowledge, and the majority of growers in Massachusetts have 
experienced at one time or another a loss of from 15 to 40 per cent. 
The loss of 25 per cent, from drop is no uncommon experience in a 
large number of lettuce houses, and when we consider that these 
houses each may contain from 6,000 to 12,000 plants, worth from 40 
cents to $1.00 per dozen, some idea of the loss may be obtained.” 
