150 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. June 
attention of our readers, premising that whether on 
the stems of wheat, or on the leaves of the chrysan¬ 
themum, pea, rose, vine, peach, apple, cucumber, or 
berberry, and on all have we seen it this year, it 
appears in the form of minute fungi, varying in 
colour and form, the roots of which penetrate the 
sap vessels, rob the plant of its juices, and disturb 
both its secretory and respiratory processes. It is 
quite clear that some of these fungi spread from 
plant to plant by means of their myriads of minute 
seeds being conveyed to their stems and leaves; as 
in the instances of the vine mildew being communi¬ 
cated to the chrysanthemums and cinerarias, as 
mentioned at p. 55 of the present volume. But we 
are also of opinion that in many instances these 
parisitic fungi are communicated to plants from the 
soil. The seeds of these minute yet destructive sap- 
suckers are wafted during their season of production 
in millions over the land, and will not only survive 
our severest winters, but will vegetate and emit seeds 
though attached to bodies widely differing from those 
living forms upon which they thrive most luxuri¬ 
antly. Thus crops of parasitic fungi have been 
raised upon clods of damp earth, and we remember 
to have seen a large mass of that which is known as 
the smut in wheat ( Uredo segetum) growing over the 
interior of a paper pill-box, in which some grain in¬ 
fected with it had been placed. Under such circum¬ 
stances it is next to impossible to guard our plants 
from contact with the seed of these fungi, and after 
adopting, in addition to especial cleanliness, an 
annual dressing of our stoves, greenhouses, frames, 
walls, and the trunks and branches of our trained 
trees, with a mixture in which sulphur predominates, 
as recommended at p. 76, we have then done our 
best in the way of prevention of the destructive in¬ 
vaders. But another question has to be considered; 
can we do nothing to the trees and plants themselves 
rendering them less liablo to suffer from their attack ? 
We entertain a very strong opinion that we can, and 
we believe that the following observations, before 
made by us in another place upon the mildew which 
affects the peach, are applicable to all other plants 
subject to be similarly affected. 
The white parasitical fungi, that are either the 
cause or injurious consequence of the peach-leaf 
mildew, are Oidium erysiphoidcs, Spowtrichmn ma- 
crosphorum , Torula botryoides, and Erysiplie pannosa. 
We have little doubt that these fungi never attack 
plants that are in good health, for we entertain the 
opinion that it is only the sap of diseased plants— 
sap in a state of decomposition—that is suited to be 
the food of the fungi. Prevention, therefore, is pre¬ 
ferable to curative applications, and we have no 
doubt that if the peach-tree is kept in due vigour by 
having the soil well drained, and prevented from 
excesses of either moisture or of dryness—and if its 
leaves are similarly protected from being exposed to 
sudden atmospheric changes—they will never be 
visited by mildew. 
We are justified in this conclusion, because with 
this disease our peach-trees, in the whole course of 
our practice (which has extended over many years), 
have seldom or never been troubled. Mildew of all 
kinds generally accompanies an impeded root action, 
and we have generally found that stagnation sud¬ 
denly caused, whether by excessive heat or drought, 
is liable to produce it, more especially if succeeded 
by much solar light. We have little doubt that in 
such cases the elaboration (by overtaking or being 
in advance of the absorbing power) produces more 
highly concentrated juices, which are adapted to be 
food for this obscure class of parasites. The best 
preventive is a good top-dressing of rotten manure 
in the early part of June, and as soon as drought sets 
in a thorough soaking of water. If caused by bad 
and deep borders, the remedy must be sought in 
thorough drainage, or an entire renovation of the 
soil. 
There is no doubt that some peaches are more 
liable to be visited by this disease than others, 
and those are the kinds which are most luxuriant 
growers. Tt so happens that most of these have no 
glands at the bases of their leaves. This was long 
since noticed, and again lately commented upon by 
Mr. Blake, Secretary to the Croydon Gardeners’ So¬ 
ciety. He observed that the kinds which have no 
glands are all subject to mildew; such as Double 
Montagne, Ford’s Seedling, Red Magdalen, Noblesse, 
Vanguard, Barrington, Grimwood's Royal George, 
Belle Bausse (Grosse Mignonne), and Early Galande. 
These kinds are all liable to be affected with the 
mildew, whether planted indoors or out, in any part 
of England: but then it is soon stopped; a little 
slacked lime and sulphur vivum settles it. There 
are a number of peaches, and very fine ones too, that 
possess glands; some with one, two, or three pairs 
of ovate, and some with the same number of reniform 
glands, all of which kinds resist the mildew. Mr. 
Blake trained the shoots of those with glands over 
those infected, and they would not receive the infec¬ 
tion. 
Similar observations are applicable to the mildew 
on the vine, apple, and cucumber. In every instance 
the grossest and most luxuriant growers are worst 
affected. At this present time we know of two vine¬ 
ries communicating by a glass door with each other; 
in the one the vines are vigorous and luxuriant, with 
their roots in the border, and they are severely mil¬ 
dewed ; in the other vinery the vines are less luxu¬ 
riant, and some of them, of compact habit, growing 
in pots, and these are without any mildew upon them. 
If The Cottage Gardener never wrought any 
measure of good further than that which is so un¬ 
pretendingly acknowledged in the following letter, 
