New York Agriculturai. Experiment Station. 489 



knowledge is diflScult to gain. The best thing we can do is to 

 study carefully the methods of growers who are successful in 

 combating rus! ;ind then experimentally duplicate these methods 

 in our own greenhouses. To this end we are at the present time 

 keeping careful records of the temperature, humidity, watering 

 and ventilation in the, greenhouse of a successful grower. 



The method of watering is probably of considerable importance. 

 Fungus spores require water for their germination, and hence the 

 method of watering least favorable to the development of rust is 

 the method in which the foliage is wetted the least. As far as 

 the control of fungous disease is concerned, sub irrigation is the 

 ideal system of watering carnations. 



An interesting experiment'' on the watering of carnations has 

 been reported from Covington, Ky. Plants of Daybreak, Mc- 

 Gowan, Portia and Hinze's White, which were kept wet all the 

 time, developed rust in abundance, while other plants of the same 

 varieties in the same house treated in the same way, except they 

 were not allowed to become wet, showed no rust at all. Plants 

 of Silver Spray within three feet of the rusty plants had not a 

 trace of rust. 



Mr. W. C. Ward,f of Queens, N. Y., considers that the first 

 essential in fighting rust is to keep the " foliage free from heavy 

 moisture." Anyone *vho wishes to do so can easily test this mat- 

 ter for himself. 



As an additional precaution against the accumulation of moist- 

 ure on the foliage, some means should be employed of raising the 

 foliage off the soil, at the same time permittmg the free circula- 

 tion of air among the plants. The most perfect device for this 

 purpose consists of an inverted V of wire netting (1-2-incli inesh) 

 placed between the rows. The accompanying illustration (Plate 

 XXXIV) explains how it is used. 



An Experiment on the Inoculation of Mature Plants. 



Dr. Besseyl attempted to inoculate mature carnation plants 



with germinating rust spores and failed. Basing his opinion 



* "Backwoods." Carnation Rust: Cause and Prevention. Florists' Exchange, Vol. VI., 

 p. 264. 



I Ward, C. W., Carnation Knemies and Supposed Remedies. Ann. Report of the American 

 Carnation Society for 1893, p. 77. 



4:Be&sey, C. E., 7th Ann. Rept. Nebr. Exp. Sta., 1894, p. 10, 



