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Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21084, 8 February 1934, Page 13

The discovery of a serious disease of beans near Gisborne was mads recently in a commercial garden, 'situated a few miles from the bor* ough boundary. It is believed that this is the first appearance of the disease in the district. Commonly known as bean wilt, the disease has been the cause of serious crop losses in other countries. In the Marlborough province in 1931 it caused con* siderable loss in commercial bean plantations. While the stein, leaves, pods, and seeds are all liable to in* fection, the spots produced on green pods are the means by which tht bean wilt is most readily identified. These spots are usually circular and about a quarter of an inch or more in diameter. The colour of the spot is first a different shade of green from the pod and later turns brownTNo other disease of beans in this country produces similar spots, and. [therefore, its identification is not difficult. Infected pods soon become useless, and when the stem is in- | fected the whole plant rapidly dies.