1 907.] 



Peasant Class on the Continent. 



559 



by burning, leaves and shoots that have been attacked, in 

 order to minimise as much as possible the chances of re-infection. 

 Cuttings from infected plants should not be used. P. Chry- 

 santhemi is now regarded as a distinct species and does not 

 appear to be capable of directly infecting plants of other 

 genera. 



Other specimens of chrysanthemums from Belmont (Ayr) 

 were affected with Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (see Leaflet No. 127). 



Diseased Arums, — Specimens of diseased arum leaves were 

 found to bear blotches caused by a parasitic fungus. Injured 

 leaves should be removed and the plants sprayed at intervals 

 of four days with a rose-red solution of permanganate of potash. 



Other specimens submitted for examination were : — Pears 

 from Bath, infested with Sclerotinia fructigena, brown rot 

 (Leaflet No. 86) ; apple twigs from Southend-on-Sea, attacked 

 by apple tree mildew (see Journal, September, 1907, p. 358) ; 

 and potatoes from Derby, which were attacked by winter rot, 

 Nectria solani (Leaflet No. 193). 



Among the subjects discussed at the Agricultural Congress 

 held at Vienna in the spring of the present year was the pre- 

 servation of the peasant class, and the 

 The Indebtedness of v , > , , , , xt _ 



relief 01 that body from the crushing 

 the Peasant Class on,, , . , , x , , . . 



burden of indebtedness which weighs on 

 the Continent. ., . , _ 1 



it m so many countries 01 Europe, and 



this gave rise to several interesting papers from German and 

 Austrian writers. The subject is chiefly interesting to English 

 agriculturists, as illustrating the conditions under which small 

 holders on the Continent have to work, and the view with 

 which the larger farmers regard them. 



Director A. Grimm, of Meran-Obermais, took as his theme 

 the continual increase in the indebtedness of the peasants, 

 which he declared is the first subject mentioned whenever the 

 preservation of that class is discussed. But he regarded 

 measures for the reduction of that debt and the limitation of 

 powers of borrowing in future as merely palliatives unless the 

 net yield of the peasants' holding was increased. For this 

 purpose he recommended (1) the extension and improvement 

 of agricultural education ; (2) old age pensions, and further 

 facilities for agricultural labourers to acquire their own homes ; 



