357 



Only occasionally the English mildew assumes a virulent form 

 and attacks the fruit. 



Precautions to be observed bv Growers. Although there are many 

 affected gardens in certain districts of England, and although in- 

 fection may doubtless be conveyed by wind, birds, insects, and 

 other means which are outside a grower's control, it does not follow 

 that it is useless to take precautions against infection. Even in 

 Worcestershire, where the disease has longest been known to exist, 

 by far the greater number of gardens are free, and of those in- 

 fected a comparatively small number are badly attacked. 



Again, as has already been stated, the disease does not always 

 spread rapidly, and in many of the cases in which it has suddenly 

 appeared all over a plantation there has been reason to suspect 

 that the plantation had been affected for some time without attracting 

 attention. On the other hand, in many of the cases in which the 

 mildew has been discovered early, and prompt action has been 

 taken, disease has not spread throughout the plantation. 



When the disease is neglected and allowed to spread all over 

 a garden, the cost of treating it is heavy, and in many of the worst 

 cases it pays the owner better to grub up the plantation than to 

 attempt to cure the affected bushes. It is quite clear, therefore, 

 that it is worth a fruit-growers' while to take precautions to prevent 

 infection, and to prevent disease from spreading if his garden should 

 unfortunately become infected. 



Fruit-growers are recommended to observe the following pre- 

 cautions : 



1) Plants should not be purchased from nurserymen or dealers 

 unless a guarantee is given that they are free from American 

 Gooseberry Mildew. Young shoots should be cut back before 

 being planted and the prunings burned. 



2) So many cases have been found in which disease has begun 

 on bushes close to the packing sheds or other places near which 

 " empties " have been stored, that baskets, barrels, sacks, etc., 

 which may recently have been in a diseased garden should be 

 treated with suspicion. Empties sent by salesmen for carrying 

 fruit of any kind to market should not be taken direct into goose- 

 berry plantations. They should first be disinfected. Baskets may 

 be disinfected by dipping them in boiling water or in a solution 

 of i lb. bluestone (copper sulphate) to 20 gallons of water; sacks 

 may be scalded. Even if disinfected, packages should not be taken 

 into fruit plantations until actually required. As already stated, 



