New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 403 



(25) It is desirable that florists make experiments of their 

 own. 



(26) Throughout the entire life of the plants spray once per 

 week with copper sulphate solution (2 lbs. to 45 gal.). 



History and Distribution op Carnation Rust. 



About five years ago it was announced* that a new fungous 

 disease of the carnation had made its appearance in the United 

 States. The new comer proved to be the carnation rust caused 

 by the fungus, Uromyces caryopliyllinus (Schrank) Schroeter, 

 common in various parts of Europe, but hitherto unknown in 

 America. By the time it began to attract the attention of florists 

 it had already become widely disseminated through the sale of 

 cuttings and rooted plants. We have no. knowledge of the exact 

 time of its importation into the United States, but there is good 

 reason for believing that it had been here but a short time pre- 

 vious to its discovery by Prof. Taft, at Lansing, Mich., in 1890. 

 Had it been long in this country it certainly would have come 

 into prominence before it did, because florists are observant and 

 ever watchful of the health of their plants, and mycologists, 

 everywhere, are eager to find new fungi. 



The fungus was first described in 1789 by Schrank,t a German 

 botanist, who gave it the name of Lycoperdon caryophyllinum. At 

 this time the knowledge of fungi was very limited and the classi- 

 fication much confused. The genus Lycoperdon, as now under- 

 stood, includes the fungi which we call puff balls, a group of 

 plants quite different from the rusts. Later, about 1805, it re- 

 ceived from PersoonI the name of Uredo Dianthi, and finally in 

 1872 Schroeter§ gave it the name which it now bears, Uromyces 

 caryophylUnus. 



In the countries of Europe the disease is of long standing but 

 does not seem to be particularly troublesome. It is occasionally 



•Arthur, J. C, Botanical Gazette, November, 1891. 



t Baiersche Flora 11., p. CCS. 



t Synopsis Methodica Fungorum, p. 822. 



S Die Brand und Rostpilze Schlesiens, p. 10. 



