244 Eeport of the Horticulturist. 



ing the season of 189G go to show that the early treatment with 

 strong solutions is unnecessary, as the rows that were sprayed for 

 the first time after the new canes were several inches high were as 

 free from disease as were the rows that received the early treat- 

 ment. The treatment for any plant disease must be preventive, 

 for we cannot cure the diseased spots that are already formed. 

 All that spraying does is to prevent the formation of new disea^^e 

 spots by protecting the plants with some fungicide. Therefore, 

 there is no need of beginning to spray much before the disease 

 begins to spread. At no time during the three seasons through 

 which our experiments have run did the scab spots begin to form 

 on the new canes until after they were six inches high. However, 

 it will require but very little attention on the part of the grower 

 to determine when the disease becomes active, and at the first 

 appearance of the small, dark-colored spots on the new canes the 

 first spraying should be given. Let this treatment be followed 

 by two or three other sprayings, as may seem best, at intervals of 

 ten to fourteen days. If the spraying is done intelligently and 

 the old canes, together with the badly diseased new ones, are re- 

 moved as soon as the fruiting season is over, there should be no 

 reason why the disease cannot be kept under control. 



If there is reason to suspect that the plants are diseased before 

 they are planted, they should be closely trimmed and as soon as 

 growth begins the new shoots should be protected with Bordeaux 

 mixture. The spraying can be very easily and cheaply done at 

 this time, and in localities where attacks of anthracnose have been 

 severe it would, no doubt, prove to be a paying operation even 

 though the plants were supposed to be free from disease when 

 planted. 



So much depends on the conditions that are met with each 

 successive season that it is possible to give only general directions 

 for treatment. The experiments show that the disease can be 

 successfully combated by giving proper attention to sanitary con- 

 ditions and protecting the young canes with Bordeaux mixture. 

 But the questions as to the exact dates on which to apply the 

 treatment, and whether it will pay to spray at all, can only be de^ 

 cided by the grower himself. 



