No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 793 



immediately before damaging frost is expected, which varies accord- 

 ing to Jocation (in the vicinity of Philadelphia, however, it is about 

 the middle of October, and some seasons it is a few days earlier and 

 some a few days later than the lime mentioned), now, in these days 

 the hrst week in August is considered by a number of the most suc- 

 cessful Carnation specialists to be the best time, and the date named 

 for lifting is about the season when Carnations begin to make their 

 njost rapid and vigorous growth outdoors when the nights become 

 cooler with more moisture in the atmosphere from the dews and fall 

 rains. The wisdom of the course now pursued is very readily un- 

 derstood when we consider the greater length of time the plants are 

 growing outdoors, the larger and more succulent they naturally be- 

 come and the more violent the shock from the breaking of the roots 

 when they were lifted, the only wonder now is that such a more 

 rational method of treatment had not been practiced earlier. The 

 plants not being so gross in growth at the earlier date, they are not 

 injured nearly so much in the transplanting, consequently are not 

 so susceptible to any of the diseases to which Carnations are liable; 

 especially is this the case when the plants are in a weakened condi- 

 tion from the effects of the greater disturbance of the roots when 

 transplanting under the older practice. 



The various fungicides are no doubt excellent as preventives, and 

 should be systematically used for that purpose, but when disease 

 does show itself the affected parts should be immediately removed 

 and destroyed by fire. 



Stem Rot, which its name implies*, is the plant rotting off just 

 above the ground line. There is no positive remedy for this disease. 

 To-day a plant affected with this disease may to all outward appear- 

 ances be enjoying the best of health, and to-morrow it will be with- 

 ered and dead. This malady among Carnations, according to Pro- 

 fessor Albert F. Woods, Chief of the Division of Vegetable Physi- 

 ology and Pathology of the United States Department of Agriculture, 

 at the meeting of the American Carnation Society, held at 

 Baltimore last year, stated that it is brought about through 

 two distinct kinds of fungi. One which is known scienti- 

 fically as Rhizoctonla^ or wet rot, develops most in acid soils, es- 

 pecially where there is much decaying organic matter. The Fusariiim 

 is the scientific name of the other, or dry rot, and is not so prevalent 

 as is the former among Carnations. Lime is found to be an excellent 

 preventive when used on the soil for the former. One grower secured 

 excellent results when he used between fifty and sixty bushels to the 

 acre to combat Stem Rot. The second, or dry-rot filngus, grows best 

 in a soil slightly alkaline. It is said to be closely related to the fungus 

 which is almost driving out the cotton industry in both North and 

 South Carolina. There are hundreds of acres of land where cotton 

 cannot be grown any more where said fungus is present. This fungus 



