238 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



green canes, or near leaf bases or buds. The fruit-bearing 

 laterals are wilted down, become dry and fall off. Later in 

 the year, beginning about the latter part of August or the first 

 part of September, these bluish areas of the bark become grayish 

 in color, and the outer bark finally cracks and peels off. 



The worst features of the disease are, first, the reduction 

 of fruit bearing laterals and, second, the cracking of the bark, 

 allowing loss of water needed for the ripening fruit. A de- 

 tailed study of the disease is at present in progress. Some 

 varieties seem more subject to the ravages of the disease than 

 others. A partial solution to the problem may lie along the 

 line of varietal resistance. The work at present under way 

 will of course take this question of varietal resistance into con- 

 sideration. Spraying experiments have been carried on the 

 past season, but data obtained were not extensive or complete 

 enough to warrant very definite conclusions^ In Colorado, 

 however, spraying experiments have been financially profitable. 

 It is reported that an increase of 240% of the yield was secured 

 and an increased financial return of about $165.00 per acre. 

 Until more definite recommendations can be given for this 

 state, growers are urged to cut out and burn affected canes 

 immediately after picking is over, and, further, to keep the 

 young canes in the spring well covered with 3-3 or 4-4-50 resin- 

 lye-bordeaux (see foot note) up to the time the berries be- 

 gin to ripen. A similar spray, should be applied in the fall, 

 after the old and diseased canes have been removed. 



Anthracnose. — This is also a fungous disease, extremely 

 common and destructive to black, red and purple berries alike. 

 It affects both canes and leaves. 



On the canes ashy gray, sunken areas, with purplish bor- 

 ders, may be formed in great numbers. On leaves and leaf 

 petioles, small gray spots with purple borders are quite com- 

 mon. The effect of this disease is not only to reduce the vital- 

 ity of the bush generally but causes as well injury to the buds, 

 either by killing them outright or so weakening them that the 

 laterals resulting are either weakened or never mature. Often- 

 times the partly formed fruits dry up and drop off. At times 

 the ripe fruit may be damaged. 



To control, cut out and burn all affected canes as soon 

 as the picking season is over. Early in the spring when the 

 young canes are but several inches high, one or two applica- 

 tions of 4-4-50 resin-lye-bordeaux mixture usually proves ef- 



