DISEASES OF COTTON 149 



189. Symptoms. Usually the first indication of this 

 disease is the yellow, mottled appearance of the leaves. 

 It is also a characteristic of this disease that the parts 

 of the leaves farthest from the leaf veins " yellow" first. 

 This diseased condition of the leaves so weakens them that 

 they are often attacked by other fungi, and, as a con- 

 sequence, are totally destroyed. The premature loss of the 

 foliage prevents the normal maturing of late bolls. The 

 lint of diseased plants is often of inferior quality. 



190. Remedies. Prevention, rather than cure, must 

 be employed in controlling mosaic disease. The unfavor- 

 able soil conditions must be eliminated. Good drainage, 

 the employment of cropping systems that will maintain 

 the organic matter in the soil, and the addition of potash 

 fertilizers to sandy soils, are the most important preventive 

 measures. 



