41 



Remedy. — Culture and fertilizing have been the most efficacious 

 means of checking it. Plants kept growing thriftily do not feel 

 its effects and soon grow out of it. 



SUN SCALD. 



Sun scald is not strictly a disease, but is common and causes so 

 much loss that it is well to consider it here. It is caused by the 

 bending over of the plant so that one side of the fruit is exposed to 

 the direct sun rays. Through moisture adhering to the fruit the 

 action of the sun's rays produces premature ripening and scalding at 

 this spot. Rot soon develops in this scalded part and the fruit is 

 lost. This can be largely prevented by sending boys through the 

 patch every week to put a small handful of dried grass upon every 

 fruit that has fallen over. 



TANGLEROOT. 



Tangleroot is characterized by the roots winding round and round 

 the stem instead of passing out into the surrounding ground. (See 

 PI. VI ? fig. 2.) 



Cause. — It is caused chiefly, if not entirely, by one of two things: 

 Hard soil, or the slip not having been stripped before planting. In 

 our heavier clay soils the ground will often be allowed to become 

 hard. As the young roots are tender and have not much penetrating 

 power, they will follow the line of least resistance. The earth imme- 

 diately about the stalk is less likely to be hard than that a little dis- 

 tance away; hence the roots follow around the stalk. Again, if the 

 slip is not stripped before planting and the weather and soil condi- 

 tions are such that the old leaves do not decay, the young developing 

 roots must find their way out between the leaf and the stem, taking a 

 circular direction, which results in tangleroot. 



Remedy. — The cure is simple ; keep the ground in good cultivation, 

 and if conditions are not very favorable when planting strip the 

 plants. 



BLACKHEART. 



The disease called " blackheart " has not yet been reported. It is 

 duo, apparently, to poor soil conditions and lack of proper food. It 

 is characterized by the rotting of the heart of the pine before any 

 sign of affection is shown on the outside. Any puncture or injury of 

 the fruit will admit some of the many fungus spores that will pro- 

 duce rot. This will spread to the center, but it must not be confused 

 with blackheart. 



Remedy. — The cure, as far as known, is better culture and ferti- 

 lizers. Phosphates and potash are usually the elements needed, es- 

 pecially the latter. Excess of nitrogen will produce soft fruits that 

 easily succumb to all such troubles. 



