130 THE CHRYSANTHEMUM 



of water. The plants should be sprayed thoroughly, 

 especially upon the under surfaces of the leaves, and, 

 if the young stock it is proposed to propagate be known 

 to be infected, the cuttings may be immersed in a 

 slightly weaker solution previous to inserting them in 

 the sand. A diligent application of this remedy weekly 

 to the growing plants, at the same time maintaining 

 correct atmospheric conditions, will usually overcome 

 the attack and enable the cultivator to entirely extir- 

 pate the disease. When fresh stock is purchased always 

 examine the young plants carefully for evidences of 

 rust, as it is often unwittingly introduced in this way, 

 and, if unobserved, may taint the whole collection. 



Professor G. Massee, an eminent English author- 

 ity, describes the Chrysanthemum rust as follows: 



"This very destructive parasite belongs to a group 

 of fungi that have a bad record from the farmer's and 

 horticulturist's standpoint. In its life history it pro- 

 duces two forms of fruit. The form of fruit in 

 evidence during the visible attack is what is termed 

 the uredo stage or summer form of fruit. The use of 

 this form of fruit is to enable the fungus to extend its 

 range of distribution as widely and quickly as possible. 

 If a small portion of the powder contained in one of 

 the rust colored pustules on a leaf be examined under 

 tEe microscope it is found to consist of myriads of pale 

 brown, minutely warted, roundish cells or spores, each 

 of which is capable of germinating the moment it is 

 mature. When the disease has once appeared its spread 

 is rapid. The spores are produced in rapid succession; 

 as fast as they become ripe they fall and are carried 

 by wind, watering, syringing or even upon the clothes 

 of the grower from one plant to another. Every spore 

 that happens to alight upon the surface of a damp 

 Chrysanthemum leaf germinates quickly, pierces the 



