DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 159 



CHAPTER VIII. 



DISEASES AND INSECT ENEMIES. 

 No hard and fast lines can be drawn between 

 diseases proper and insect attacks. Strictly speak- 

 ing 1 , a disease is any derangement of the functions 

 of the plant, be it caused by fungous attacks, in- 

 sect injuries, environment, or a combination of all. 

 For convenience we may discuss the subject under 

 two heads, (i) diseases and their treatment, (2) 

 insect enemies and methods of combating them. 



DISEASES AND THEIR TREATMENT. 



Probably no other subject connected with 

 violet growing has been so much discussed as the 

 diseases. This is nothing more than might be ex- 

 pected, for the final effects of all proper or im- 

 proper methods of cultivation are manifested either 

 in the form of health or disease. The plant, in 

 other words, is largely what the grower makes it, 

 and if he thoroughly understood his work there 

 would be little need for writing this chapter. This 

 is equivalent to saying that the question is largely 

 one of knowing how to make the conditions or en- 

 vironment so nearly perfect as to preclude the 

 possibility of disease. It must be understood, of 



