180 Mortier F. Barrus 



Planting at a time of the year when anthracnose is least likely to be present 



Corbett (1907) suggests late planting as a possible means of avoiding 

 the disease. This may do very well where the growing season is long, 

 but in New York State the varieties usually planted require practically 

 all the growing season to properly mature their pods. Since the months 

 of July and August are drier on the average than the other months of 

 the growing season, early-maturing varieties planted at the beginning 

 of July might be less likely to be affected with anthracnose than if 

 planted earlier, as the disease would not have as good an opportunity 

 to develop from affected seeds. There are so many other factors of 

 importance in deciding the time of planting, however, that this one of 

 preventing anthracnose can be given little consideration. 



Planting early-maturing varieties 



There are years when anthracnose does not become prevalent until the 

 fall rains come on, so that an early-maturing variety would escape 

 infection. A variety of white pea bean known as Early Wonder is 

 recommended by Muncie (1916) to Michigan growers because it ripens 

 from ten to fourteen days earlier than other varieties of this kind, and 

 thus matures before diseases have made serious invasion into the tissue 

 of the pod, with consequent spotting of seed. This bean does not ripen 

 appreciably earlier in New York than does the ordinary Navy Pea. 



Spraying 



It is interesting to note that even before the discovery of bordeaux 

 mixture, the application of a fungicide to bean pods for the control of 

 anthracnose had been made. Frank (1883 b: 523) found that flowers of 

 sulfur greatly decreases the number of cases of infection but provides 

 no real security against the disease. Scribner (1888:364) states that 

 under some circumstances applications of solutions of sulfate of iron 

 or of copper may be made, but their use on the fruit cannot be generally 

 recommended because of their poisonous character. He suggests the use 

 of liver of sulfur, one ounce to five gallons of water. Galloway (1889) 

 recommends a very early application of hyposulfite of soda, one ounce 

 to one gallon of water, or of potassium sulfide, one-fourth ounce to one 

 gallon of water. Two subsequent sprayings should be made after the 

 pods are from one-half to two-thirds developed. 



