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Garden Work 
time they are able to keep alive in the ground. Even if 
potatoes are not grown in this soil for five years, yet in the 
sixth year they are almost sure to contract the disease, and 
propagate it for another period of time. 
Now, for such a disease as this, and upon such an 
important crop as the Potato, most stringent methods for 
its eradication must be employed. The Government has 
been alive to the necessity of keeping it in check, and so, 
to prevent it spreading, has made it a notifiable disease. 
Anyone — whether growing for sale or private use — who 
fails to notify this disease is liable to a fine not exceeding 
^io. Wherever this disease makes its appearance, the 
plants affected should be carefully dug up, and the whole 
plant, haulms and tubers, burned. The ground also, where 
the infected crop was grown, should be dressed with about 
60 lb. of gas lime per pole, or 4 tons to the acre. This 
will destroy many of the spores, but as an extra precaution 
no Potatoes should be grown on the infected ground for 
at least six years. 
DAMPING-OFF DISEASE 
This is the disease that causes such havoc among the 
seedlings in the springtime, almost all gardeners being 
familiar with it. The spores appear to be present in most 
soils, and only require suitable conditions for them to ger- 
minate and infect the seedlings. When germination takes 
place a small tube or hypha is sent out. This makes its 
way to the seedling that is near, and penetrates the epi- 
dermis into the tissues of the plant; there it devours the 
nourishment from the cell. After this it makes its way 
