104 REPORT OF THE BOTANIST OF THD 
treatment. In the succeeding pages we give our observations ~ 
upon the occurrence of Rhizoctonia upon various plants in 
America, 
ON THBP BRAN. 
(Phaseolus vulgaris.) 
Early in August, 1900, we received a few complaints of the 
ravages of what appears to be an undescribed stem-rot disease of 
beans. A field of about twenty acres of red kidney beans near 
Geneva was considerably injured by the disease. The plants 
were affected as follows: At a distance of from one to two 
inches above the surface of the soil there was a place om the 
stem where the tissues were dead and discolored. Frequently, 
this occurred at the point where the plants commenced to branch. 
‘The dead part was dry-rotten clear to the pith, from one-half 
inch to one inch or more in length, and usually extended en- 
tirely around the stem. Being much weakened at the point of 
attack, it was a common thing for affected plants to be broken 
over by the wind. When this did not happen, the whole plant 
slowly dried up and died.: 
Although larvee were occasionally found in the diseased stems, 
it was plain that the trouble was not due to any insect. In 
all stages of the disease the affected parts were constantly filled 
with a species of Fusarwm, which at that time we suspected to 
be the principal cause of the disease. However, Rhizoctonia 
hyphe were also present in a great many cases. Sometimes the 
medulla of dead plants were completely filled with Rhizoctonia, 
and occasionally it was found in early stages of the disease; but 
it was not constantly present in quantity. The crop preceding 
the beans was corn. 
From Phelps we received bean plants affected with the same 
disease and some of them showed an abundance of Rhizoctonia. 
Mr. F. M. Rolfs' also reports having found Rhizoctonia on beans 
on Long Island. 
*Our thanks are due Mr. Rolfs who has made a great many field obser- 
vations for us. ; 
