SECTION OF VEGETABLE PATHOLOGY. 335 
author described the summer stage of the fungus in 1879 as Ramu- 
laria Tulasnet, and in 1883 the same form was published by Mr. 
Charles H. Peck under the name of Ramularia fragarie. This stage 
of the fungus has been made the subject of papers by several Ameri- 
can botanists, but none have attempted to trace the deyelopment of 
the other forms in its life history. 
’ (b) EXTERNAL CHARACTERS OF THE BLIGHT. 
Very small, deep purple or red spots appearing on the upper sur- 
face ot the leaves are the first symptoms of this disease. These spots 
rapidly increase in size, and at the same time their color changes 
from purple to reddish-brown; eventually they become gray or white 
in the center, so that they finally present a gray or white central area 
surrounded by a dark purple border, shading off towards the healthy 
tissues to reddish-brown. The spots vary in diameter from one-sixth 
to nearly one-fourth of an inch, but it very frequently happens that 
several contiguous spots coalesce and form large, irregular-shaped 
blotches. The bright color which these spots impart to the leaves 
renders the latter particularly conspicuous, and this appearance is 
familiar to every strawberry grower (Fig. a). The leaves badly af- 
fected soon turn brown, this discoloration usually beginning at their 
tips, and become shriveled and finally die. Similar spots to those 
above described sometimes appear on the calyx and on the stems sup- 
porting the young berries or fruit. ‘ 
(c) EFFECTS AND LOSSES. 
The effect of the Strawberry-leaf Blight on the foliage of the plants, 
even in mild cases, must be detrimental to the processes of assimila- 
tion; and when the attack is severe it results in the early destruction 
and death of the plants. If the fruiting stems or leaves of the calyx 
are attacked the young berries never reach maturity, or the fruit 
becomes shriveled and unfit for use. 
The injury to strawberry culture resulting from this disease ap- 
pears to have been on the increase during the past five or six years, 
to the general alarm of the growers of this fruit. No special efforts 
have been taken to learn the actual extent to which this fruit indus- 
try has suffered from the ravages of the blight, but enough has been 
learned to demonstrate its gravity. In some localities the injury 
effected has been comparatively shght, while in others entire plan- 
tations have been completely destroyed. It appears that the disease 
is most severe in the States of Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minne- 
sota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, and Kentutky. In southern Illinois, 
where there are more strawberries grown than in any other section 
of the country, the blight is deemed one of the worst enemies with 
which the cultivator of this fruit has to contend, and the losses sus- 
tained are often very great. A Connecticut correspondent states 
that in one year he lost $1,500 on a field of 6 acres from the Straw- 
berry Blight. In Louisiana and other Southern States the disease is 
less destructive. This is probably due to the fact that in this section 
the plants are renewed every year, allowing no opportunity for the 
fungus to gain a foot-hold. 
The attacks may occur at any time during the growing season 
under the proper weather conditions. Those coming early, if severe, 
injure the immediate crop, while later attacks may entirely destroy 
the prospects of a crop the year following. It is the opinion of some 
strawberry growers that the heavier the crop the more likely are the 
