12 



STRAWBERRIES. 



arked by Leaf Blight, 

 in. it's ecirly stage {Sphaerelta fragarim.) 



"Rust" or "Sunburn," {Sphcerella fragarice) . It is a minute para- 

 sitic plant which hives in the tissues of the leaves and stem. In the 

 early spring small purple or red spots appear on the new leaves. 

 About the time the plants are exhausted by fruiting, or perhaps 

 before the fruit is fairly ripe, these spots increase rapidly in size, 

 and in a few days what was a promising strawberry bed is dried 

 up and worthless. Many varieties that are hardy otherwise have 

 foliage that is sus- 

 ceptible to this dis- 

 ease, and some kinds 

 should not be plant- 

 ed unless some fun- 

 gicide is used to pro- 

 tect them from it. 



Our growers at 

 present prefer to ob- 

 viate the necessity 

 of using fungicides 

 by planting only 

 those varieties that 

 are very robust and 



healthy. However, Fig. ^- ^^^^f^f of Jtrawherry^ 

 it may be desirable 

 to grow some varieties with weak foliage, such for instance as the 

 Captain Jack, a fine bi-sexual kind that was formerly very healthy 

 but of late years has frequently been ruined by blight. In such a 

 case the newly set plants should be sprayed three or more times 

 the first season, commencing as soon as the young plants are well 

 established, and twice the following spring, with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture or some other fungicide. To do this requires no more labor 

 or expense than it does to spray for the potato bug the same num- 

 ber of times, and the grower will be well repaid in the increased 

 crop. Highly cultivated plants are less liable to diseases than those 

 that are neglected. 



Bordeaux Mixture. — This is made by slacking two pounds 

 of quick lime in 20 gallons of water in one barrel, and dissolving 

 three pounds of sulphate of copper (blue vitriol) in two gallons of 

 water in another barrel. A piece of coarse burlap is now put over 

 tte barrel containing the sulphate of copper, and the slacked lime 

 and water is strained through it and the two compounds are well 

 mixed together. It is now ready to use and should be applied with 

 a spray pump. This is the same solution that is so successfully 

 used to prevent blight and rot on potatoes, mildew on grapes, etc. 



White Grub {Lachuosierna Sp.)—T\i.\s is the common white 

 grub found in sod land and in manure. It is the larvis of a large 

 beetle, and may be very disasterous when the plants are set on sod 

 land, but is seldom if ever very injurious under other conditions. 



Leaf Roller. — This insect is injurious in the lai'vae stage. In 

 feeding it folds up the leaves by drawing the edges together by 



