246 INSECTS, DISEASES AND OTHER PESTS 



is spread. The fungus easily attacks the cut surfaces 

 causing them to lose their color and dry up, the cuttings 

 finally yellowing and dying. The drying up of the leaves 

 progresses downward until it reaches the stem. Here the 

 fungus infects the stem and causes the rotting off of the 

 cutting at the surface of the ground. 



In many cases only the outer leaves are attacked, but 

 sometimes the young leaves dry up and die. The fungus 

 always produces a slimy, wet rot which is quite character- 

 istic. Large areas 4 ft. and 5 ft. long in the bench have 

 been seen in which all the cuttings have rotted off due to 

 the fungus. To prevent the spread of the disease in this 

 way, only cuttings from healthy plants should be used. 

 The spores may lodge on the cuttings and when the young 

 plants are transferred to pots the spores may germinate 

 and find a wound to enter the tissues and so cause the dying 

 of several branches or the whole plant. Again the same 

 thing may hold true with the plants when they are set out 

 in the field. The disease in the field is not of an infectious 

 character, for diseased plants are often found isolated 

 among healthy ones. 



When the plants are benched in the Fall the fungus 

 brought in from the field may cause some damage, for the 

 plants seem to be more subject to infection in the houses 

 than in the field. As its development is somewhat similar, 

 the same precautions should be applied here as have been 

 given for the stem rot. 



CARNATION '* YELLOWS " 



" Yellows," as we shall call this disease for the present, 

 to distinguish it from " Bacteriosis " and ** Stigmanose," 

 is widely distributed throughout the country, and seems 

 to be increasing rapidly. The trouble starts in the young 



