144 REPORT OF THE BOTANIST OF THE 
ing process, either in piles on the ground or in barrels. Apples 
barreled immediately after picking and placed at once in cold 
storage seem to escape the trouble, but it is liable to appear 
later when the fruit is placed upon the market. 
“A preventive of the rot is much to be desired, but at present 
none is known. Investigations in this line are now in progress 
at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station.” 
The whole trouble can be traced back to a lack of thorough 
spraying. Had the apples been kept free from scab by spraying, 
the white rot fungus could do them no harm in storage. How- 
ever, the past season has been exceptionally favorable for scab 
and spraying has been less effective than usual. 
During September and early October the parasitism of the 
fungus had been proven, and as a mater of scientific interest 
the following account of the fact was prepared on October 24th 
and published in “ Science” for November 7th: 
“THE PARASITISM OF CEPHALOTHECIUM ROSEUM. 
‘‘In discussions of the numerous fungi that are known to cause 
the rotting of apples and other fruits Cephalotheciwm rosewm, 
Corda, has had but brief mention. It is generally regarded as 
a saprophyte, and Clinton* reports it as such on badly rotted 
apples. However, Aderhold** observed a case in which it caused 
a rotting of pears by growing through Fusicladium pirinum 
spots. But it has never been classed as a rot fungus of any 
economic importance. 
“In New York State during the past season it has proved to be 
a true parasite and the cause of an apple rot of great economic 
importance. In some sections of the State thousands of barrels 
of apples have been ruined by it. Apple scab, Fusicladium 
dendriticum, has been unusually common this year. In Sep- 
tember and October it was noticed that on many of the scab 
spots there appeared a white or pinkish growth which trans- 
formed them into brown, sunken, bitter, rotten spots. Upon 
investigation it was found that this white growth was Cephalo- 
thecium roseum Corda., and inoculations made upon many dif- 
ferent varieties of apples and pears under antiseptic conditions, 
with pure cultures, have proved that it is parasitic, and the 
cause of the rot. In every inoculation the characteristic rot 
developed, while the same number of check fruits remained sound. 
* Clinton, G. P., ‘‘ Apple Rots in Illinois,” Til. Agr. Exp. Station Bul. 69.193. F. 1902. 
**Aderhold, Rud., ‘“‘Arbeiten der botanischen Abteilung der Versuchsstation des Kel. 
pomologischen Instituts zu Proskau,” Centralbl. f. Bakt. Parasitenk. u. Infektionskr., I1- 
Abt., 5:522. 1899. 
