New York Agricultural ExrERiMENT Station. 121 



MEANS OF PREVENTION. 



Little can be said at present concerning special means of pre- 

 vention to be adopted for Rhizoctonia diseases. Plants growing 

 under the most favorable conditions of moisture, temperature, 

 and nutrition will probably show marked resistance to the attacks 

 of such diseases^ so that good sanitary conditions are of the first 

 importance. An excess of moisture and the presence of freshly 

 decaying plant products in the soil will unquestionably favor the 

 disease. Particularly in the propagating and forcing benches is 

 a ficquent change of soil advisable. The fungus grows well upon 

 acid media, and liming of the soil is therefore well; but this of 

 itself is not thoroughly effective. If the fungus should become 

 a serious pest in greenhouses, it may sometimes prove practicable 

 to sterilize the soil with steam or with hot water. 



