THE DAMPING-OFF FUNGUS 



183 



giving the soil the conditions (heat and moisture) favor- 

 able to the germination of the spores, and then, a few 

 days later, exposing it thoroughly to a very dry, hot 

 atmosphere, so as to kill the delicate growth of the fun- 

 gus. It seems likely that the trouble might be avoided 

 by watering the plants w^ith an extremely dilute solution 

 of copper sulphate — say a pound to two hundred gallons. 

 The preventive measures recommended by gardeners, 

 are the avoidance of a liigh temperature and moist at- 

 mosphere, keeping plants stocky, giving plenty of air, 

 and changing the soil frequently. 



Literature. — A discussion concerning damping off 

 may be found in the American Garden for June, 1890 

 (XI, 347-350) ; also in H. Marshall Ward's Diseases of 

 Plants; and in the Transactions of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society for 1891. The latter contains the 

 article by Mr. Galloway from which the above quotations 

 w^ere made. 



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