116 HiVTCll EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Potato Rot. 

 {PJiylo2')hthora infestaris, DBy.) 



The fungus mentioned above was also responsible to a 

 large extent for damage to potatoes, causing them to rot, 

 esi)ecially those grown on moist land. During the early 

 part of the season potatoes as a whole Avere remarkably free 

 from blight, and not until the rainy and damp i)eriod came 

 in September did they display any alarming troubles. In 

 some instances quite a large percentage was destroyed by 

 rot. The spraying of potatoes in this State has not met 

 with that degree of success that it has in other New Eng- 

 land States, one reason being that the early blight often 

 occurs here quite disastrously, and obtains a foothold early 

 in the season. 



Spraying for this trouble should commence early in June, 

 when the plants are about one-fourth grown, and continue 

 until late in the season. Another factor underlying success- 

 ful spraying is jn'essure ; at least 50 pounds' pressure should 

 ])e maintained by the pump, to secure the best results. Ex- 

 periments at the college this ^^ear showed material gain in 

 the quantity of potatoes secured from sprayed crops, as 

 compared with those not Sprayed. 



Cucumber and Melox Blight. 



The dry sunnncr with its freedom from moisture proved 

 favorable for cucumbers and melons, and these crops were 

 not severely affected, at least previous to Septeml^er, with 

 either the doAvny mildew or anthracnose. During the past 

 fall there has occurred considerable infection to greenhouse 

 crops, especially those started early. For the last six or 

 seven years the downy mildew (Plasmojwra CuhensiH (B. 

 &, C.) Humphrey) has occurred generally upon greenhouse 

 cucumbers started early in the house, and occasionally the 

 anthracnose (CoUefofn'chtim Lagenarium (Pass.) Ell. & 

 Hals.) appears in the fall, but we know of no instances 

 where either of these blights has wintered in greenhouses. 

 Both of these blights must therefore at })resent be consid- 

 ered as left over from sununer. The anthracnose, however, 



