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Rorrine oF Cirrus Frurr.—Considerable loss is at times ex- 
perienced during transportaticn or storage of citrus fruit. The 
cause is due to one of the blue moulds—Penicillium digitatum. 
This fungus grows on the fruit from a spore, which germinates 
and penetrates the tissues in the form of white threads, and feeds 
on the juices ; after a time they show outward as a white mould 
which, when it fructifies, appears like bluish-green dust. The 
disease occurs more in the fruit store than in the orchard. Sulphur 
fumigation minimises its spread. It mostly attacks bruised fruit. 
STRAWBERRY LEAF-BLicHT oR Sun Burn (Spherella fragarie, 
Tul.)—‘‘This is the only serious fungoid disease of the straw- 
berry plant now known in Australia,’ says Dr. Cobb. It is very 
widespread, and does a great deal of damage, causing a loss of 
from five to ninety per cent. of the crop. 
Small purple or red spots appearing on the leaves. They 
eventually become larger and browner, making the leaf appear 
blotched. The growth of the young berries is also cheeked, leaving 
them juiceless, shrivelled, and green, and not larger than peas. 
Remedies.—In mild cases, destroy all affected leaves ; this will 
prevent the disease spreading. In bad cases mow the bed close, 
rake up the leaves immediately and burn them ; or the bed may be 
covered with dry litter and then burn off. The strawberry plant 
will soon throw up clean leaves if the weather is propitious. Spray 
with Bordeaux mixture or ammoniacal carbonate of copper, at 
intervals of two or three weeks, beginning as soon as the fruit is 
picked, or preferably, early in the season and before blosscming. 
Maintain a vigorous and healthy growth by means of dressings of 
stable manure and of chemical fertilisers. 
GRAPE VINE. 
GRAPE ANTHRACNOSE OR Buack Spot (Sphaceloma ampelinum, 
De Barry—Gleosporium ampelinum, Sacc.)—Two distinct forms of 
Black Spot occur in Australia. Anthracnose, however, is the more 
common as well as the more troublesome of the two. It is 
easily recognised, when the spots reach a certain size, by the centre 
becoming white, owing to the fructification of the fungus which 
causes the disease. On account of its appearance, the disease has 
been known as “‘ bird’s-eye rot.”” The favourable conditions neces- 
sary to its spread are warmth and moisture, either in the form 
of damp weather or heavy dews, accompanied by skies so cloudy 
as to prevent quick evaporation in the mornings particularly in 
the spring and early summer. JHence it is preferable, in estab- 
lishing a vine-yard, to plant those varieties much affected by 
Anthracnose on slopes exposed to the morning sun. The winter 
germs of the disease are hidden in the stem and in the last year 
canes and develop on the new shoots and on the blossoms and 
grapes. 
