34 



light, is the best prevention of mildew. We have kept this 

 mildew entirely in check on more than one occasion by simply 

 keeping the moisture down in the house and supplying the plants 

 with sufficient light and air. Since mildew infection comes largely 

 during the summer, one of the best ways to obviate it is to not set 

 the plants until about October. The mildew can also be prevented 

 by spraying with Bordeaux, as has been shown by experiments. 

 In short, this is the only remedy that can be applied to outdoor 

 crops of cucumbers. 



Anthracnose (Colletotrichum Lagenarmm, (Pass.) Ell. &Hals.). 

 This fungous disease causes a great deal of trouble to outdoor 

 crops of melons and cucumbers (see Fig. 4). It has become well- 

 nigh impossible during the past two or 

 three years to grow melons out of doors. 

 From our numerous correspondence 

 with farmers each year relating to this 

 disease it would appear that it made 

 little difference whether one sprayed or 

 did not spray. The result has always 

 been the same, namely, the plants 

 would blight and most of the crop 

 would be lost. Anthracnose occa- 

 FiG. 4.— Cucumber leaf affected with sioually attacks greenhousc crops dur- 

 anthracnose. jjjg ^j^g spring and summcr, although 



our experience in handling cucurbitaceous crops under glass, during 

 every month in the year, without a trace of infection, has led us to 

 believe that the same conditions are necessary for the prevention 

 of Anthracnose as for the prevention of mildew, namely, absence 

 of extreme moisture conditions in the house. 



Timber Rot. 

 Timber rot is caused by the same fungus that produces lettuce 

 drop. On the cucumber it causes canker-like growtlis on the stem, 

 such growths being associated with black pustules about one- 



Fio. 5. — Timber rot, cucumber. 



sixteenth or one-eighth inch in diameter (see Fig. 5). It does 

 not cause excessive damage to cucumbers, as a rule, and the fungus 



