New York AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 165 
PNOCULATION EXPRRIMENTS WITH MITES.# 
These experiments consisted of a number’ of artificial infections 
of carnation buds in various stages of growth of the buds to de- 
termine the range of susceptibility to the attacks of the mite. Two 
series of experiments were made. In one series mites were used 
which were obtained from infested buds, and in the other, active 
females were employed, which were treated with a pure culture 
of the fungus. 
In the first series the following experiments were made with buds 
at different stages of growth. Buds I and II had the petels just 
broken through the sheath. Each was infested with four gravid 
females, which were placed within by forcing aside the petals at 
the top. Twenty days later both buds had opened and showed no 
injury. The mites had died and the fungus caused no perceptible 
damage. Bud III was well formed, of good size, and the sheath 
was tightly closed. The infection was made by placing several 
crawling females and one gravid female into the heart of the bud 
through an opening in the side. Twenty days later the record 
shows that the bud had enlarged to twice the original size but was 
dry, and on opening it the interior was found to be undeveloped. 
Buds IV and V were similar in condition to | and II. These were 
each infected with two gravid females. The buds opened in due 
season with a perfect bloom. 
In the second series seven buds were inoculated with a goodly 
number of crawling females and pure cultures of the fungus. These 
buds were on plants in an ordinary carnation bed and were more 
or less attacked by thrips. None of the infested buds showed 
signs of injury and all eventually came to a perfect bloom. 
Although with one exception these inoculations brought negative 
results, it has been thought best to make a record of the work. The 
failure to reproduce the typical injury may be due to several causes. 
Among these are lack of proper conditions for the growth of the 
fungus and the variety of carnations used in the work. The suc- 
cessful experiment would indicate that the infection to cause typical 
injury must be made to younger buds. 
*By H. E. Hodgkiss. 
