Notes upon Celery. 213 



moisture is constantly pumped into the root house ; and the 

 necessarily inferior ventilation of such houses render them pecu- 

 liarly favorable for the growth of the fungus, provided the 

 temperature is sufficiently high. Good ventilation seems to be 

 an important preventive factor, and the best evidence of this is 

 afforded by the observation that the blight is less injurious along 

 the central gangways of the cellars. On the basis of the loca- 

 tion, however, it seems possible easily to account for the drier 

 houses and better stored celery at Irondequoit ; but it must be 

 remembered that the past season was unfavorable everywhere. 

 The celery which remained in the field longest was least subject 

 to the abnormal conditions, and consequently less affected by 

 the disease. 



I also visited the celery gardens of Horseheads, near Elmira, 

 where considerable loss had been reported. There the trench or 

 banking system is still in vogue, and on account of the freezing 

 weather, I could see but little of the stored product ; yet those 

 who attempted the trench system at Irondequoit during the past 

 season were very unsuccessful, and on the whole it seems unwise 

 to recommend it for protracted storage. 



Remedies. 



Although it has not yet been possible to conduct any remedial 

 experiments, certain practical remedies are readily suggested by 

 the conditions. A great desideratum is to bring to the root house 

 a minimum amount of the disease. To this end, plants in the 

 field should be sprayed regularly to prevent its appearance there. 

 Any badly affected leaves should be stripped away before consign- 

 ing to the coop, and it seems highly probable that fungicides may 

 be used most effectively with the stored product. Without a great 

 amount of extra labor, the leafy portion of the plants could be 

 dipped in a weak solution of the ammoniacal copper carbonate 

 before being stored, and as there is then no chance of its being 

 washed off by rain, this measure should prove effective. The 

 carbonate solution is mentioned because the only objection that 

 might be urged against it is the slight deposit of copper. How- 

 ever, as most of the original green leaves are stripped off in the 



