Spinach Diseases 179 



of ventilation allowed whenever possible. The 

 plants may be sprayed with a standard fungicide. 



Anthracnose 



Caused by Colletotrichum spinacia Ell. and Hals. 



Symptoms. It appears as minute, round, water- 

 soaked spots on the leaves. These quickly enlarge 

 and become gray and dry. In the spots will be 

 found evenly-scattered, minute, dark tufts; these 

 are merely fruiting pustules which also contain mi- 

 nute black bristles or setae. The disease is not limited 

 to any particular part of the plant. Infection may 

 take place anywhere on the foliage, stems, or peti- 

 oles. The spore pustules may be formed on the 

 upper as well as on the lower surface of the leaf. 

 Under moist conditions, the pustules take on a sal- 

 mon tinge, indicating that there is an abundance of 

 spores formed at that time. The spores may be 

 carried from leaf to leaf and from plant to plant 

 by insects, wind, or rain water. In badly infected 

 beds, picking should not be done when the leaves are 

 wet. Infected material should be destroyed by fire. 



The fungi Entyloma elUssii Hals, Fhyllosticta 

 chenopodii Sacc, Cladosporium macrocarpum Preuss, 

 and Heterosporium variahile Cke. do not seem to 

 trouble indoor spinach but are rather serious out of 

 doors. 



