September 17, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



455 



As to the enemies of the Hollyhock the only insect which 

 does much damage is red spider. An experienced gardener 

 at once recognizes the presence of this pest by the leaves 

 assuming a yellowish appearance. The best way to combat it 

 is by washing the leaves thoroughly with a weak solution of 

 soft soap. The Fungus known as Pitccinia Malvacearum is a 

 tiresome disease which attacks the Hollyhock at all stages of 

 its growth. Mr. Douglas, however, found that when he left 

 his plants standing out for two successive winters they were 

 quite free from this fungoid disease, whereas afterward, 



only, which he thinks is far superior to such abominable mix- 

 tures as soot, soap and sulphur. Mr. Smith, a large grower of 

 Hollyhocks, never grows his plants under any circumstances 

 beneath glass, believing it to be a forerunner of the Fungus 

 disease. His seeds are sown in the open air, and his cuttings 

 are put into open borders, which, however, have a southern 

 aspect. Should disease make its appearance at any time, 

 and, indeed, to prevent its appearance at all, a mixture com- 

 posed of one peck of soot, two pounds soft soap and one 

 pound of Hour of sulphur is used. The mixture is made in a 





F'S- 57- — Plan for a Small Town Place. — See page 450. 



when placed in a cold frame for the winter, the disease attacked 

 the young shoots again in the following spring. It was com- 

 batted by taking off the affected leaves and painting the re- 

 mainder with a solution of soft soap and sulphur. The 

 inference to be drawn from this experiment is that if the plants 

 are grown out-of-doors entirely they are free from the attacks 

 of Puccinia. Recently Condy's fluid has been said to be one 

 of the best destroyers of the disease, which it completely 

 withers without in the least injuring the leaves of the Holly- 

 hock, and Dr. Masters has great faith in sulphate of copper 



zinc pail with hot, but not boiling, water, and thoroughly 

 well stirred. It is afterward strained through a canvas screen 

 so as to enable it to be readily taken up by the syringe. Every 

 day as soon as the buds begin to appear the plants are well 

 syringed with the solution until the flowers open, and no sign 

 of disease or thrips ever appears. Another disease hitherto 

 not mentioned is known as the " white mildew." This appears 

 during hot summers, attacking the stems, and in a few hours 

 causing the leaves to droop and the flowers to become flabby. 

 The only remedy for this white mildew is to cut off the stem 



