1909.] Cucumber and Tomato Canker. 



579 



cottages and lose their employment. A certain number of 

 complaints have been received that such intimidation has been 

 actually exercised in the case of certain applicants, and by 

 direction of the President special inquiries have been made 

 into every such case. Some of the complaints proved to be 

 unfounded, and in others it was impossible to prove that the 

 action taken was mainly or at all due to the fact of applica- 

 tion having been made for a small holding, but in one case at 

 least there is no room for doubt that such intimidation was 

 exercised. 



The Commissioners also mention that they have personally 

 interviewed a large number of the applicants for small hold- 

 ings, and they desire to place on record the fact that in 

 their opinion a very considerable number of the approved 

 applicants are industrious, self-reliant, and capable men of 

 a very superior type. All over the country there are men who 

 for years have been desiring to obtain land and who have 

 both the capital and the knowledge that are necessary to 

 make them successful small holders. It is just this type of 

 man who too often in the past has despaired of obtaining 

 land in this country and has emigrated to the Colonies, and 

 it is hoped, therefore, that councils will recognise the im- 

 portance of retaining men of this stamp in the country and 

 will use every endeavour to provide them with holdings at 

 the earliest possible date. 



The appendix to the Report contains a summary describ- 

 ing the steps taken by each County Council in carrying out 

 the Act, together with particulars of the applications 

 received and the various circulars, &c, issued by the Board. 



Dr. Grossenbacher* has recently described a disease caused 

 by Mycosphaerella citrullina, Grossenb., which proves very 

 destructive to melons in the United 

 Cucumber and States. The disease is first indicated 

 Tomato Canker. by the wilting of the leaves, after which 

 the entire plant collapses and dies. 

 The nodes of the stem, especially those nearest the root, 

 present a water-logged appearance, often accompanied by an 

 exudation of gum. At a later stage the diseased patches 



* New York Agric. Expt. Sta., Technical Bull. No. 9 (1909.) 



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