EXTRACTS OF PROCEEDINGS. 



Ixix 



been made last year. This culture is the more interesting as it 

 shows that the Larch is the host plant for the aecidiospores 

 of two species of Melampsora. Hartig had previously demon- 

 strated that a Melampsora on Populus tremula similarly affects 

 the Larch foliage. 



"Anti-blight" a Preparation for the Destruction of Mildew. — 

 A visitor, Mr. A. Buchanan, of Glasgow, was invited to give an 

 account of a preparation recommended by Mr. Tait, of Oporto. It 

 was found to be beneficial to Vines in the north of Portugal, and 

 as the Potato disease was due to another species of Peronospora, 

 it was suggested as a remedy for it. He read a communication 

 presented to the Highland Agricultural .Society, in which the 

 results from its use were described as beneficial to port wine 

 growers, as well as being destructive to mould on trees, &c. He 

 gave a description of the composition of " anti-blight," which con- 

 sisted of lime, flowers of sulphur, and sulphate of copper. The 

 sulphate of copper disappears, and is replaced by a hydrated oxide 

 of copper. The preparation is used in the dry state instead of 

 being in solution, which, excepting the sulphur, is apparently 

 the only appreciable difference between "anti-blight " and other 

 well-known preparations. There appears to be a certain danger 

 in its use, in that if the powder be not ground sufficiently fine, 

 small particles of sulphate of copper may be left on the foliage, 

 unaltered, which destroy it. These have, therefore, to be sifted 

 out, the finer powder being alone used. The dispersion of the 

 powder has to be effected by means of bellows and fans of peculiar 

 construction. 



It was observed by Dr. Plowright that the flowers of sulphur, 

 though destructive to the oidium upon Vines, would have no effect 

 upon the Potato disease. He also referred to the extended use 

 of preparations of sulphate of copper on the Continent — as, e.g., for 

 Tomatoes, the foliage and fruit of which are dressed with it. The 

 practice is even adopted of painting the Vine poles, as this has 

 been found to lessen the disease. Sulphate of copper is also 

 largely used in America. 



Mr.Wolley-Dod described his experience with similar materials, 

 only used wet, in the following proportions : — 3 lbs. of sulphate of 

 copper, 10 gallons of water, and 2 lbs. of quicklime. Having 

 applied it to growing plants of tender foliage liable to mildew, 

 it proved injurious, because the sulphate of copper had not passed 



