, 1910-07-16
Concluded from Avj8 No, S..
TIE ROOT rot prEEAsE.

THE ROOT ROT DIEEAsE.
The root rot disease has b58n we'll treated
in Bulletin No. 1000 Of the Louisiana station
and only o few points need to be mentioned
here. Tho disease ia caused by one OF the
higher fungi, 4 species OF mushroom or toad
stool. THIS diseaaa attacks both the cut
ti1gs and the grow ng cane. On th9 grow
ing cane, it kills the roots and grows III be-
tween tho lower leat sheQtha. Iae iaaf
shaath2 arc not sh31 as is The case with
healthy cane but relnain glued togetAee
around The stalk 1T some of these ay3
p1.lod apart, g network Of white nyoe.!un
viii be seen between thon. Ia August, or
perhaps during other 58a3ea3 if tao weather
conditions Qg9 suitable, ne little mushrooms,
the fruiting part OF t4e fungus, develop "a
these leaf sh9aths.
On the cane which is used for seed, this
disease will also develop. 1 have seen it to
some extent in nearly every batch of cane
which has been sent me this spring. IAe
mycehum enters the cut ends OF the st, liza
a4I grow through them. phe disease is
raa5ily ,old by the white strands of myceii-
I'M which may be on or il tl8 stalks. some
times tie eye is killed before termination,
tnl sometimes the young piRut ID killed
after g~eIInln.ti0n.
This disease is widely distributed in thu
state an probably has baan for q long time.
In some PLACES it does considerable damage,
bat IN normal years, The loss mas not be 4
1rgo. inns year if has caused considerable
loss both IN 5l3 plant e21s aa3 IN t4a stub
bic, Tha dry veatnar mas r1r tAe cane n
q more OF le59 unleaitay conltti0u All it
has been very susceptible to the disease
TIE PINEAPPLE DI7EA84.
The pineapple ais4aso u perhaps the most
serious Of oil 5ha sugar cane Diseases. V19
troub,3 is widely distributed IN al the sugar
growing countries OF the tropics and IN oil
cases does a large amount OF damage. Pre-
y4ou5 TO this, however, we have not had thu
disease to contend with il Louisiana, as Il
has DOW last appeared il the state. 1t 3
not known to o3our IL any other state and IS
only Known to be present IL one parish n
Louisiana. Some seed cane s3nt in from St.
Mary parish IL APRIL contained q small
amount Of this disease, However, from the
limited amount OF the disease found in the
cane received, il is probable tlut it 1a5 not
boone drmly established, even in that par
ISL as yet. But there is a strong likelihood
OF it developing rapidly and spreading to
other parts Of the state. The presence OF
this disease in the state is indeed . very Sc
rious matter. OF course, there is o small
chance that the fungus will not DO able to
stand our winters and therefore will be OF
little economic Importance, but such good
luck as this can hardly be hoped for. Ilo
wisest course for the Louisiana sugar planter
is to be prepared to take such measures Is
are possible for the control Of the trouble
and for preventing It's spread.
The disease is caused by q small fungus
known to botanists as Ihiei9Vj0pSjs etb0o8-
tjcuS. The fungus is an extremely rapl d
growing one and forms spores in abundance,
so there is a splendid chance for the dis ease
to spread rapidly. The fungus gains en-
trance to the stalks entirely though wounds
in the rind, similar il this respect to the
rind disease.
A stalk affected with this disease does not
usually show on the outside. The exterior
of the a may be perfectly sound in ap-
pearance while the interior may be badly de-
composed. On splitting the stalk, however,
the disease can usually be told. If the dis
ease has progressed to any extent, the CEN
ter of the stalk will be more or less decom-
posed. The sugar-containing cells have
been disintegrated, and the fbrovascular
bundles OF the central region will be seen to
be more or less free. This central cylinder,
or "pipe'' as it is called, is nearly black in
color. Il the disease has not progressed Iar
enough, however, to show this black color, it
can be brought out in q very few hours by
placing the split stalk in q moist place. This
black color is due to the presence OF the
spores of the fungus, and they develop very
rapidly on a cut surface III q moist place.