28 MARKET NURSERY WORK 



distinct fungi, their effect is not dissimilar to that of the clado- 

 sporium on the tomato, taking into consideration the difference 

 in the foliage. These fungi attack both foliage and fruit, and 

 we have ourselves had to deal with plants so badly attacked 

 that scarce a leaf was left undisf igured and the whole had to be 

 rooted up. 



This is not the place to enter upon a scientific dissertation 

 on the disease, especially as there are special text books devoted 

 to the subject, and we purposely limit ourselves to the strictly 

 practical. We say at once that from the beginning steps should 

 be taken to prevent disease by using every known precaution. 

 Unfortunately, the moist conditions essential to successful 

 cucumber growing are also favourable to the rapid propagation 

 of the fungi, so that whatever steps are taken must accept 

 the humid atmosphere as a sine qua non. We have regularly 

 sprayed with permanganate of potash and have avoided disease, 

 but we are unable to say whether we should have been equally 

 immune had we not so sprayed. We have also coated the hot- 

 water pipes with sulphur, and though we think we have grounds 

 for believing that this had a deleterious effect on the fungi 

 we would not venture to suggest that it was altogether good for 

 the plants themselves. 



We rather place considerable reliance upon a remedy we once 

 copied from the Fruitgrower, and this we have consistently 

 used as a deterrent and as an attempted cure, not without 

 a fair measure of success. This consisted of a powder made up 

 of eighty parts green sulphur and twenty parts Burgundy mixture, 

 and up to date we have found nothing better. If ever we find 

 a leaf showing the least sign of " spot " we cut it off if it can be 

 spared, or if not, we cut out the portion containing the spot. 



Our deliberate opinion is that our road to safety lies in the 

 raising of new and immune varieties, for if it is possible to raise 

 potatoes immune to certain fungoid diseases it ought to be 

 equally possible with the cucumber. The efforts of our raisers 

 might be concentrated on this point with lasting benefit to 

 growers. 



