50 HOPS. 



Smut is most frequently encountered in years when honey 

 dew is prevalent, and makes its appearance in June and July 

 as a blackish brown to black coating on the upper side of the 

 leaf, which then gradually dies, shrivels up and falls off, thus 

 enfeebling the plant. The fungus increases with extraordi- 

 nary rapidity in dry weather ; but, on the other hand, is 

 almost totally annihilated by a copious fall of rain, which 

 also retards the development of the pest by washing away 

 the honey dew serving as nutrient medium for the spores 

 of the fungus. Since both kinds of honey dew favour the 

 occurrence of smut, it is advisable (as the vegetable honey 

 dew cannot very well be avoided) to at least keep down the 

 production of the animal excretion by effective action against 

 the aphis. For this purpose washing the plants with a 1^ 

 per cent, solution of soft soap, mixed with a little tobacco 

 water, has proved efficacious, and though apparently expen- 

 sive to use has been proved by experience to richly repay the 

 i)utlay incurred. 



Smut also occurs on apple-trees, pear-trees, the quince, 

 cherry, damson, apricot, strawberry, gooseberry, currant, 

 raspberry, peach, and vine, a circumstance increasing the 

 difficulty of combating the evil. 



Mould is a dreaded foe of the hop plant, so many crops 

 having fallen victims to its ravages, since not only the leaves 

 and stems but also the cones are attacked and rendered 

 almost valueless when the infection is severe. Such cones 

 are poor in lupulin, and have a repulsive smell. Owing to 

 its occurrence on many other plants mould is a very difficult 

 adversary to overcome. According to Sorauer, it also causes 

 damage to Bosacece, Onagraoem, Balsaminece, Gucurbitacece, Com- 

 posites, Scrofularinea, and Plantaginece. The disease appears in 

 the form of greyish white patches consisting of the mycelium 

 of the fungus, which increases at a very rapid rate during 

 damp weather. 



