Fungicides 129 



final bulk with hot water, or with cold water added slowly 

 over the fire, thus making a stock mixture. Dilute to 100 

 gallons when ready for use. 



Fungicides 



Fungi constitute a group of plants of a very low order 

 in 'which the green coloring matter common in all culti- 

 vated plants is not developed. For this reason these plants 

 are unable to digest for themselves the crude food ma- 

 terials available in the soil and air, and must get their food 

 from the bodies of other plants which may be either dead 

 or living. When these fungi are found on dead and de- 

 caying plants, such as rotting wood, they are called sapro- 

 phites, but where they are found on the bodies of living 

 plants, either on the root, leaves or fruits, they are called 

 parasites. On account of this tendency for some of them 

 to live on living green plants, they cause serious trouble 

 oftentimes, known as "fungous diseases." Without proper 

 protection the host plant is often entirely destroyed, or is 

 unable to mature a satisfactory crop of fruit or seed. 



The most common fungous diseases are known as mil- 

 dews, leaf spots, cankers, fruit rots, scabs, rusts, etc., and 

 since the most of these fungi live within the host, it is 

 impossible to reach them after the host has become in- 

 fected. For this reason preventive measures must be un- 

 dertaken to keep the plants in a sanitary condition and 

 reduce. the possibility of their becoming infected with the 

 fungus parasite. This can be done by spraying the plant 

 with some fungicide which will prevent the fungus from 

 gaining entrance either by killing the spores or preventing 

 their germination. 



For the most effective and positive results to be ob- 

 tained from thorough spraying, it is best to keep the plan- 

 tation in as clean and sanitary a condition as possible, 

 through the removal of rubbish which may serve as the 

 hiding place ever winter of numerous insects, and fungus 

 spores; to keep the ground cleared of objectionable weeds 

 and grass; to keep dead limbs out of the trees, and dis- 



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