76 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



suddenly fulls from any cause and they consequently receive 

 a check m their growth, it will be a most favorable time for 

 an attack of the ever-ready enemy, the mildew. Poor ven- 

 tilation and partial exclusion of sunlight by crowding the 

 vines too close together will produce a muggy atmosphere, 

 and have a similar result. To prevent crowding, it is ad- 

 visable to trim up the vines somewhat and train them to 

 trellises or single stakes. Uniform heat, good ventilation 

 and free access of air and sunlight to all parts of the plant 

 will prove the most efiective preventive of mildew. In our 

 climate, however, the first tw^o conditions are liable to prove 

 antagonistic to each other ; for in cold, windy weather it is 

 impossible to ventilate the house without greatly reducing 

 the temperature. 



Spraying with the ordinary fungicides has proved effectual 

 in preventing this disease. The spraying should be done 

 about once in two weeks, commencing wdien the plants are 

 quite small. It is also a wise precaution in all hot-house 

 work to thoroughly clean up and burn all dead leaves, vines 

 and similar materials when a crop is removed, and, if pos- 

 sil^le, fumigate the house with sulphur. The latter of course 

 cannot be done if there are any plants growing in the house. 



Too often we find that such diseases as this are allowed to 

 develope in the house, with no eftbrt being made to check 

 them. So long as the plants are not killed outright, many 

 growers seem to think that no damage is done. This is cer- 

 tainly not the case, for the presence of the fungus is a con- 

 stant drain upon the vitality of the plant, reducing its yield 

 both in quantity and quality. The practice of spraying, 

 which can be done at an insignificant cost per plant, will, if 

 properly carried out, prove both effectual and profitable. 



A Crysanthemum Rust. 



Specimens of diseased chrysanthemum leaves which have 

 been sent in to the station for examination prove to be 

 aftected with one of the true rusts, the first, so far as we 

 know, to be reported upon this host. The specimens were 

 sent by Mr. Geo. H. Hastings of Fitchburg, Mass., who 

 writes as follows : — 



