250 FARM FRIENDS AND FARM FOES 



STRAWBERRY LEAF SPOT 



Every one who grows strawberries has noticed the brown 

 or reddish spots that appear upon the leaves, especially 

 late in summer. These are due to a fungous disease called 

 the Strawberry Leaf Spot. When the spots first appear, 

 they may be seen on the upper side of the leaf as small 

 dots of a purple or reddish color. They grow larger from 

 day to day; the central portions become brown in color, 

 while the margins retain their purple hue. The fungus 

 threads within the cells of the leaf generally affect a cir- 

 cular area, but frequently two or more centers of disease 

 will be sufficiently near each other to run together and 

 produce a large discolored blotch. Sometimes practi- 

 cally the whole leaf will be destroyed. The effect of the 

 disease upon the plant is to dwarf its growth and lessen 

 the fruit crop produced the succeeding year. 



The Strawberry Leaf Blight may be prevented to a con- 

 siderable extent by spraying with the Bordeaux mixture. 

 Of course this cannot be applied while the berries are on 

 the vines. An excellent way to treat fruiting plantations 

 is to mow the vines after the berries are gathered, and 

 burn the ground over as soon as the leaves are dry. This 

 destroys the spores of the fungus and a new crop of leaves 

 will soon be produced comparatively free from blight, 

 especially if they are sprayed once with the Bordeaux 



mixture. 



The most successful growers of strawberries renew their 

 plantations every year, as they find it easier to set out a 

 new bed than to clean out an old one. When this method 

 is adopted it is seldom necessary to spray to prevent the 

 Leaf Spot. 



