128 THE BOOK OF THE SWEET PEA 



foliage, these blotches becoming covered with bright 

 grey mould when this fungoid disease reaches its fruit- 

 ing stage. The enormous quantity of spores which are 

 evident when the disease is in this mould-like stage, 

 give a good indication of the great possibilities of 

 perpetuating the trouble. As each spore matures and 

 bursts, they quickly distribute the disease, for which 

 reason they need dealing with in every drastic fashion 

 at once. To prevent the disease spreading, the plants 

 and foliage should be sprayed with liver of sulphur 

 (sulphide of potassium), using the soap and sulphur 

 solution as advised for Mildew and Sweet Pea Spot. 

 Unless means be taken to effect a remedy or check the 

 spread of the disease in its earliest stages, it is possible 

 that the whole collection of plants may soon become 

 involved, and the prospects of a bright display in the 

 near future be absolutely spoiled. 



SLUGS 



In the earliest stages outdoors, slugs not seldom give 

 growers cause for anxiety. This is more noticeable in the 

 case of gardens of circumscribed areas such as suburban 

 gardens, where trees and shrubs and other strong grow- 

 ing subjects afford cool and shady quarters in which the 

 slugs secrete themselves during the day time. Close 

 wooden fences dividing one small garden from another 

 often harbour this pest, to the detriment of toothsome 

 young plants in the garden. As a preventative measure 

 we should work into the soil lime or soot rather freely, 

 and as soon as the seedlings are through the soil and 

 until well established, should dust the surroundings with 

 either of these remedies from time to time as required, 

 or until they have lost their potency. Another simple 

 means of preventing damage by slugs is to dust powdered 

 alum over plants that are the recipients of their close 



