34 
station, a series of trials was made with potassium sulphide (liver of 
sulphur) as a preventive of injury from the disease of the gooseberry 
plant commonly known as u mildew,” and due to a fungus parasite 
known to science as Sphcerotheca mors-uvce B. & (3. The substance was 
applied in solution at the rate of one-half and one-fourth ounce to the 
gallon, respectively, commencing May 3, or as soon as the leaves had 
begun to expand, and the application was repeated after every hard 
rain until June 24, nine sprayings having been made in all. The exper¬ 
iment was made upon a row of the Industry gooseberry containing 
live plants, and upon a plat of seedlings numbering 282 plants. 
Toward midsummer the effect of the spraying became distinctly vis¬ 
ible in the deeper green foliage and more rapid growth of the treated 
plants. On June 23 the two plants of the Industry gooseberry that 
received the sprayings were noted as being entirely free from mildew, 
with the exception of a trace of it observed on a single fruit, while the 
three not treated were quite badly affected. The fungus appeared as 
a downy coating near the ends of the new shoots, and also upon the 
berries. The new growth, as well as the crop of fruit, was very per¬ 
ceptibly greater on the treated plants. At this time the bed of seed¬ 
lings had not been perceptibly attacked by the fungus. 
On July 16, the seedling plants were found to be considerably affected, 
.and an examination showed that in the row treated with the sulphide 
at the rate of half an ounce to the gallon, only one plant exhibited signs 
of mildew out of a total of 60—about 1.7 per cent; in the row treated 
at the rate of one-fourth ounce to the gallon 3 plants were affected out 
of 43—about 7 per cent.; while in 133 plants not treated, 15 were affected, 
or about 11.3 per cent. 
As these plants were all seedlings from native varieties and are not 
all subject to mildew, these figures are only au indication of the effects 
of the treatment and not a proof, for I do not know how many plants 
in the treated rows would have been affected had the applications not 
been made. There could be no question, however, as to the benefits re¬ 
sulting from the treatment. As far as the plantation could be seen 
the sprayed rows were conspicuous for the richer green of their foliage . 
and the row receiving the stronger solution showed somewhat greater 
vigor than the other. A part of this benefit, however, probabty re¬ 
sulted from the influence of the sulphide in destroying or repelling the 
currant worm, as the treated plants were noticeably less injured by this 
insect than the others. A part also may have resulted from the fertil¬ 
izing effect of the potash applied. 
In the latter part of summer, after the spraying had been discontin¬ 
ued, the mildew increased on the treated plants, showing clearly that 
the applications were beneficial, and also that they must be continued 
throughout the growing season to confer their greatest benefit. 
