1 86 DISEASES AND INSECT ENEMIES. 



especially if the crowns are heavy and too much 

 water is used for syringing or other purposes. It 

 is often found in houses made of sash, where the 

 drips keep the crowns of the plant constantly wet 

 for days at a time. In such cases the inner or 

 youngest leaves of the crown become softened 

 and through the action of several species of fungi 

 are in a short time reduced to a soft, slimy mass. 

 The trouble is sometimes quite serious, as all 

 the young inner growth is destroyed and the 

 flower buds of course perish with them. The 

 difficulty, as already pointed out, is brought 

 about largely by the improper use of water. Of 

 course in houses where there are many drips it is 

 impossible to keep the crowns dry. As soon as 

 the trouble is noticed, however, the diseased 

 leaves should be cleaned out as rapidly as possible, 

 the remaining leaves pushed apart, and the crowns 

 opened so as to admit light and air. Where the 

 crowns are very heavy some advantage may result 

 by trimming out part of the leaves, but this of 

 course will more or less interfere with the flower- 

 ing of the plant. 



A mixture of equal parts of air-slacked lime 

 and flowers of sulphur is frequently beneficial in 

 cases of this kind. The two materials should be 

 thoroughly mixed and thrown into the crown with 

 considerable force so as to reach the rotting parts. 

 Lime alone is beneficial, but the sulphur has a 

 tendency to destroy the fungi present and in a 



