AMERICAN GOOSEBERRY MILDEW xvii 



land, growers of gooseberries have been much disturbed 

 by alarming statements that unless legislative measures 

 are at once instituted, gooseberry growing will within a 

 very short period of time be a thing of the past. How 

 legislation will in any way assist those who have the 

 mildew on their bushes at the present moment, is not 

 explained. One argument is that the mildew has been 

 introduced from the Continent. Poor Continent, how 

 conveniently situated to suggest such an idea ; how many 

 gooseberry bushes do you send us annually ? and why do 

 you allow the mildew to evade your laws specially for- 

 bidding its entry into your respective countries? 



In reality there is not the slightest evidence that the 

 mildew was introduced into this country from the Con- 

 tinent, nor that it was introduced into Europe from the 

 United States. There are people in this country who state 

 that they have known the disease for the last thirty, or 

 even fifty, years without knowing what it was, from a 

 botanical point of view, and not being specially interested 

 in it, as it did no material injury. It is quite true these 

 people may be labouring under a mistake as to the identity 

 of the disease under consideration ; at the same time their 

 statements have not been proved to be wrong. 



Undoubtedly the disease is a serious one, and not to 

 be ignored, and if allowed to run its course without any 

 attempt to check it. would prove, like finger-and-toe, 

 diphtheria, hop mildew, cholera, or plague, a serious 

 enemy. 



Fortunately, however, remedies are to hand, which, if 

 applied with promptitude, will hold the disease in check ; 

 these are as follows : 



In this country the disease, as a rule, confines itself to 



