STRAWBERRY. 83 



DISEASES AND INSECTS. 



The Strawberry is peculiarly exempt from diseases, 

 there being few which affect it to any considerable extent. 



Sometimes a sudden change of weather will cause the 

 flowers to blight, and no fruit will be produced ; but this 

 cannot be classed as a disease, but merely as an accidental 

 cause of failure. In warm, wet weather, the fruit and 

 leaf-stalks will be affected by mildew, and the leaves at- 

 tacked by a kind of rust which is called in Europe Straw- 

 berry Brand (Aregma obtusatum). Mr. Cooke, in his 

 late work 0:1 Microscopic Fungi, has given a description 

 and highly magnified illustration of this species, which 

 we quote, figure 24. The 

 spores are produced in 

 clusters on the upper side 

 of the leaves, and appear 

 to the naked eye like 

 minute yellow spots, but 

 under a magnifying lens 

 they have the form shown 

 in the illustration, figure 



24. As this fungus makes its appearance late in the 

 season, it causes but very little injury. 



A kind of blight or rust is reported to have appeared 

 on Strawberry plants in some of the Western States dur- 

 ing the past few years, causing considerable loss to grow- 

 ers of this fruit, but as I have had no opportunity of per- 

 sonally examining the affected plantations, I am unable 

 to express an opinion as to the cause or nature of the 

 disease. In most cases of fungus diseases, dusting the 

 plants with ashes or gypsum will be beneficial, even if 

 it does not entirely destroy the fungi causing them. 



Insects are more injurious to the Strawberry than are 

 diseases, and among the most destructive of these are the 

 various species of the May Beetles (Lachnosterna), of 



