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American Gooseberry Mildew. [nov., 



American gooseberry mildew {Sphcerotheca mors uvce) with 

 the European gooseberry/ mildew (Microsphaera grossulariae) , 

 which has undoubtedly been present for many years in this 

 country, and to the likeness between the appearance of the 

 affected shoots and those attacked by " green fly." The tips 

 of the shoots of bushes that have suffered from a severe attack 

 of this latter pest present the same appearance as those affected 

 with the mildew ; but in the case of the latter the brown 

 felted scurfy covering can be scraped off with the ringer nail, 

 while in the case of the injury caused by the " green fly " 

 it is the actual surface of the shoot which has become dis- 

 coloured. This uncertainty of opinion led many growers 

 to refuse to take any steps to deal with the disease v In one 

 case infected cuttings were planted out to see what the effect 

 in the spring would be. In several cases nothing at all was 

 done, the infected shoots being left on the old bushes. In a 

 certain number of cases, where bushes which had already been 

 pruned were discovered to be still affected, the owners were 

 unwilling to go over the bushes again. Several growers, 

 however, immediately sent men round to re-prune the affected 

 bushes, on being informed of the presence of disease in their 

 plantations. In one case, at any rate, the owner, on being 

 informed of the presence of disease in his plantation, im- 

 mediately grubbed up and burnt all the affected bushes — about 

 fifty in number. 



As there was at this time no legal power to compel uniformity 

 of action, the Worcestershire County Council, at their own 

 expense, sent men round to prune off and burn all the affected 

 shoots at several places where the worst attacks occurred ; 

 and as many owners refused even to. spray their bushes, this 

 work was undertaken on their behalf as well. Spraying 

 was begun on 26th March, just after the buds had begun to 

 burst, and potassium sulphide (liver of sulphur) was first used, 

 as this had proved in many trials in the United States to be 

 the best fungicide for stopping the spread of the disease. Un- 

 fortunately, it was found impossible to spray at more than 

 thirteen plantations out of the twenty-eight that had been 

 discovered up to the middle of March, as the work had to be 

 done at intervals of a fortnight. 



The Department of Agriculture for Ireland advises spraying 



