Field experiments, using contaminated seed, have been carried out from 1941 to 1947 to study the reaction of a wide range of both fibre and oil varieties of Linum usitatissimum to attack by Polyspora Lini Laff., Colletotrichum linicola Pethybr. & Laff., Phoma sp. and Melampsora Lini (Ehrenb.) LéV. The tests made with Colletotrichum linicola were supplemented by direct inoculation experiments with young seedlings grown under greenhouse or laboratory conditions.None of the varieties tested proved to be immune to attack by Polyspora Lini, Colletotrichum linicola or Phoma sp. Herkules, Concurrent, Hindi, La Plata, Saginaw x Ottawa 770 B and Winona x Ottawa 770 B were resistant to the stem‐break and browning phases of attack by Polyspora Lini; Bison, Hindi and La Plata were resistant to attacks by Colletotrichum linicola, while Hindi and La Plata showed some resistance to Phoma sp. Immunity or a ‘high’ measure of resistance to attack by Melampsora Lini was exhibited by Formosa, Stakhanovets, Textilshchik, U.S.S.R. No. 2 (ex Dugejheshchya), Wada, Argentine Selection (C.I. 112), Baladi, Bolley Golden (C.I. 644), Bombay (C.I. 42), Hindi, Italia Roma (C.I. 1005–2), J.W.S. (C.I. 708–1), Koto (C.I. 872), Kenya (C.I. 709–1), La Plata, Newland (C.I. 188), Ottawa 770B (C.I. 355), Pale Blue Crimped (C.I. 647), Tammes Pale Blue (C.I. 333–1), Williston Golden (C.I. 25–1) and C.I. 836.All varieties did not show the same reactions to stem‐break as to the browning phase of attack by Polyspora Lini and similar differences were noted in the case of the uredospore and teleutospore stages of Melampsora Lini. In certain varieties the stems showed a greater resistance to attack by Polyspora Lini or Melampsora Lini than the leaves.Seeds of all varieties tested in the field experiments became heavily attacked with Polyspora Lini (except in La Plata), Colletotrichum linicola and Phoma sp.