1907.] American Gooseberry Mildew. 



453 



slightly; in another, and rather more serious case, the variety 

 was Ocean Green. Several varieties of the Lancashire Prize 

 gooseberries, including Admiration, Bollin Hall, and Snowdrop, 

 were found infected in one instance. 



Appearance of the Disease. — The mildew in its winter 

 stage was found in all cases only on the wood of the young 

 shoots of the year's growth. No signs of disease were found 

 on the wood of the previous year's growth, or on the older 

 wood. The mildew, when it has passed fully into the winter 

 stage, covers the stem with a dark brown felted scurfy cover- 

 ing, which consists of the spawn (mycelium) of the fungus 

 bearing the fruit concept acles with the winter spores. The 

 patches of spawn either form blotches scattered over the 

 surface of the wood towards the tip of the shoot or com- 

 pletely invest the tip of the shoot for a distance of several 

 inches, when the tip usually becomes more or less shrivelled 

 up from the injury inflicted. In some cases the tips of trie 

 shoots, when badly infected by the fungus, are destroyed. 

 In a large number of shoots attacked it was noticed that 

 the mildew persisted throughout the winter in scattered 

 greyish patches on the wood, instead of changing into a uniform: 

 brown colour. It was also observed that when the suckers 

 of the bushes had been attacked the mildew was visible not 

 only on the tips of the shoots but extended down for a distance 

 of a foot, and in several cases of eighteen inches. The disease 

 was found most generally on the top shoots of the bushes, 

 though in very bad attacks both upper and lower shoots were 

 affected. In some cases there was hardly a shoot which 

 was free from the disease. 



Remedial Measures. — When the disease was discovered 

 in Worcestershire, the news was received with great alarm. 

 Owing, however, to the divergence of opinion expressed as to 

 the serious nature of the infection a contrary opinion sprang 

 up, and in many quarters the feeling changed to one of almost 

 complete indifference. It was asserted that the mildew 

 had been present in the county for many years past, that the 

 injury it had inflicted in Ireland and elsewhere had been 

 exaggerated, and that the climatic conditions of Worcester- 

 shire were unfavourable to the continuance of the disease. 

 These statements appear to be due to a confusion of the 



