HISTORY AND CAUSE OF THE RIND DISEASE OF SUGAR CANE

Abstract

1. The symptoms of the rind disease are the eruptions on the rind of the cane from wliich protrude black masses of spores, together with a drying up of the leaves. 2. The disease has been studied for the last twenty years at least in various parts of the world. 3. The fungus causing the rind disease has only one known spore form in its life history. 4. The rind fungus occurs in the Southern United States, all through the West Indies and Demerara; in Natal, Mauritius, British India, Java (?), Australia, and Hawaii. 5. The fungus is what is known as a wound parasite, i. e., capable of infecting cane only through wounds, or cane that is in an otherwise unhealthy condition. It may be classed as an active parasite on certain weak or soft canes such as Bourbon and D116. 6. The rind disease is caused by Melanconium sacchari, one of the fungi imperfecti. 7. Treatment of the disease is restricted to the use of hardy varieties, to adopting such methods as will reduce the moth borer, and to grinding the cane before it is overripe. 8. Melanconium saccharinum and M. iliau have,also heen described on cane, but are not to be considered as causes of the rind disease. 9. The rind disease is common in Porto Rico.