700 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [15 jSTov., 1919. 



THE ICELAND POPPY DISEASE. 



By C. C. Brittlehank, Plant Pathologist. 



During the past fcAV years, Iceland poppies have been subject to 

 a disease which, in some cases, has killed oft" 80 or 90 per cent, of these 

 plants in a garden. As a rule, the time of attack, or, at any rate, the 

 time when the disease is first noticeable, is just as, or slightly before, 

 the buds are formed, but plants are liable to become affected at all stages 

 of their growt;li. 



Symptoms of the Disease. 



Affected plants assume at first a slightly wilted appearance; later, 

 the base of the leaf and flower stalks become brown, and decay. In mild 

 attacks, a few leaves only are afl^ected, and the^'e dying give the plant a 

 ragged and unsightly appearance. Many of these slightly affected 

 plants throw out numerous tufts of undersized leaves, which cause the 

 plant to become dense and bushy. Such plants seldom, if even, reach 

 the flowering stage, owing to the dense mass of foliage retaining 

 moisture, which is favorable to the development of the disease. 



Cause of the Disease. 



For some time the cause of this disease was unknown, but early in 

 this year a species of Phytoplithora was isolated from specimens for- 

 warded to this ofiice. This genus contains the well-known Irish Potato 

 Blight, and several others equally destructive to their respective 

 hosts. 



CONTKOL. 



Complete control of the disease is obtained by the use of copper soda 

 mixture — 6 lbs. bluestone, 9 lbs. washing soda, and 50 gallons of water. 

 The mixture is sprayed on the plants, AVhich from their structure convey 

 the liquid to those parts where most needed. Very young plants should 

 be sprayed with a mixture one half strength of tliat given above. 



ORCHARD AND GARDEN NOTES. 



The Orchard. 

 E. E. Pescott, F.L.S., Pomologist. 



Spb.' 



AYING. 



The spray pump should now bo in thorough working order, so that 

 the various spring sprayings may be carried out with as little interrup- 

 tion as possible. It is always wise to clean out the pump after each 

 spraying, so that it will be ready for the next mixture. Putting a 

 different spray in a pump barrel that has not been washed out, very often 

 causes the formation of a sediment, which blocks the nozzle and inter- 

 rupts the work. 



