THE CULTURE OF CONIFERS 35 



protect the seedlings from winter killing, because most varieties 

 would stand severe freezing, it is to prevent them through the action 

 of freezing and thawing from being heaved out of the soil. At the 

 beginning of the growing season of the second year, all lath shades 

 are removed from Pinus varieties, and Juniperus Virginiana, Piceas, 

 and Abies are left with shade until the end of the second year. 



Diseases and insects. The common disease causing loss in the 

 seed beds is the damping-off fungus. This is a most serious fungus 

 disease, attacking the little new" grown seedlings while they are in 

 the baby foliage. It works on the roots and along the surface of 

 the ground, causing the little seedlings to decay and die. The 

 fungus works in patches, sometimes a few" inches in diameter, 

 killing every seedling affected. These patches may spread from a 

 few inches to the entire bed. 



In cooperation with the U. S. Department of Agriculture, we 

 have carried on extensive experiments for several years to secure 

 means of controlling this fungus, and bulletins are now available 

 giving the results of these experiments with various methods of 

 treatment which in many cases have proven wonderfully successful. 

 I would suggest to all propagators of coniferous evergreen seedlings 

 that they make a careful study of the Government formulas recom- 

 mended for the control of damping-off fungus. The fungus blight- 

 ing the Juniperus Virginiana in the seed beds has been so serious 

 through the country that the successful growing of this variety was 

 thought to be impossible. However, it has been found that the 

 disease can be readily controlled through the use of lime sulphur 

 or Bordeaux mixture sprays. Spray the young seedlings as soon 

 as they are out of the ground, and keep them well saturated with 

 the mixture throughout the entire growing season, remembering 

 always that Bordeaux mixture is only a preventive measure and 

 not a cure, and unless the work is thoroughly done it is just as well 

 not to attempt it., 



Considerable losses in the seed beds have resulted from white 

 grubs eating the tender roots. When this condition exists it is 

 impossible to take any action because the grubs are in the ground 

 and can not be reached with spray. The means of control is fall 

 plowing of the land set aside for the seed bed area. This plowing 

 of the land in the fall disturbs the grubs and causes winter freezing. 



