Strawberry Culture 4.5 



The SPOTTED PARIA (Paria sex-notata), STRIPED FLEA 

 BEETLE (Phyllotreta vitata) and some others, which I am un- 

 able to describe, also injure strawberry plants to a greater or 

 less extent in some places. 



FUNGOUS DISEASE 



STRAWBERRY LEAF-BLIGHT, Rust, Leaf-Spot, Spot disease 

 (Sphaer el la fr agaric?} This disease generally manifests itself 

 first in June in a brownish red or red-purple spot, which soon 

 changes to a dead white spot with a narrow red purple or purpl- 

 ish brown border. "These spots often join and form a single 

 large discolored area." 



The general conditions conducive to attacks of the rust are 

 a weakened condition of the plant, due to warm, damp weather 

 producing rank growth, followed by hot, dry weather which 

 checks growth; bearing a heavy crop; and age and general 

 weakness of plants; also, hot, damp weather and low, poorly 

 drained land, which are conditions favorable to the growth of 

 most fungi. One writer says that rust is more prevalent on 

 sandy soil than on clay loam. 



It frequently causes great damage to a crop by appearing after 

 the fruit has set, weakening the leaves and attacking the fruit- 

 stems and hulls, "cutting off the supply of nourishment from 

 the berries and disfiguring them by the wilting of the calyx." 

 It is generally worst late in the season and sometimes weakens 

 plants so they die during the winter. 



Probably the best preventive is to keep the plants, as far as 

 possible, in a vigorous condition by good culture and plenty of 

 food. After fruiting, mowing and burning over the beds will 

 kill most of the fungus ; but a better way still is to plow them 



