172 Report oF THE BoTANIST OF THE 
All of the evidence obtainable goes to show that this bacterial 
rot is not new, but that it is an old enemy which found unusually 
favorable conditions for its development in some peculiarity of the 
weather during the season of 1898. As yet, no attempt has been 
made to determine the identity of the organism causing it. It 
may be the same as the one causing the rot of onions and other 
plants observed by Halsted? in New Jersey. 
The weather records published by the New York State Weather 
Bureau show that the rainfall in Orange Co. was excessive and the 
temperature high from the middle of July to the close of August, 
1898. At Middletown, which is on the edge of the onion district, 
the dates upon which rain fell® during this period were as follows: 
RAINFALL AT MIDDLETOWN, N. Y., JuLy 18 To AucusT 26, 1898. 

—_— 




Date. Inches. Date. Inches. 
JULY WB Sn Paget 2 Manion tendo a 31 August. 11-2425 400) See .80 
JOLY NLD |. Eseries cesar Sem OL August los) o ee .08 
POLY OO pp Ae ee. asks As Se ee 190 “August; 162 .4 iii. See .28 
PALLY ei eee os cate oy. peste age ores 1.85" August 10) so) << ape 1.31 
sive DGre) ae SOsh treet ath, 1:04 vYAugust?19 30. Shee eee eee 41 
ALLY 08 Bl San ae oe aaa i 09 August, 23°... 7... 00k en seem 3.08 © 
SP ULY SO Hea. a Mate Ge maak Pele ate 1.09 (August 24 sai. fee, cea 42 
PMN hh ae Mepaaeinn (reer ee tate meN 1,48) AUguel 2G. eo. how he eee 52 
PIOUS MER Beis eh ay oc eh 1.15 
A Totiad ts oa SOP Re cakes a ee a cae ae i St ee: Ce 15.42 

In forty days 15.42 inches of rain fell and it was so evenly dis- 
tributed over the period that the ground was almost constantly 
wet. The onion fields, being on a low level, were frequently | 
inundated. In some cases whole fields were covered by the water 
for a period of from 12 to 36 hours. It is not strange that the 
onions rotted. 
The important role which water plays in this rot is shown by 
the behavior of laboratory cultures. Sound onions were cut open, 
2 Halsted, B. D. The Root Rot of Salsify. Gard. and Forest. 3: 576. N. 
1890: Also, Eleventh Ann. Rept. N. J. State Ag. Exp. Sta., 1890: 352. 
3 Rept. N. Y. State Weather Bureau, vol. X, No. 7, p. 11, and Nower on aie 
