80 Report OF THE DIRECTOR OF THE 
law every plum grower is enabled to protect his orchards from the 
invasion of this disease. 
At the time when this subject was being agitated the station — 
prepared an illustrated black knot bulletin for the purpose of 
presenting in a popular way the results of scientific investigation 
on this subject. In this bulletin the cause of the malady is plainly 
set forth and attention is called to the fact that there is no eure 
for the disease. It is stated that the germs of the disease are pro- 
duced in the knots in myriads year after year, that they readily 
float in the air and that when they are ripening every breeze pass- 
ing over an infected tree may carry away countless numbers of the 
disease germs and so spread the black knot from neighborhood to 
neighborhood. Burning the black knot is, therefore, advocated 
as the only practical way of preventing the disease. Attention 
is also called to the fact that the same disease which infests the 
- eultivated plum and cherry is also found on several species of the 
wild plum and cherries, and, therefore, the source of infection may 
be found in woodlands or hedgerows as well-as in diseased 
orchards. 
Gooseberry mildew.— Many people are not aware that English 
gooseberries far excel American varieties in size of fruit, and 
that many varieties are not only very large, but also very hand- 
some, sweet and pleasant flavored. Not only is it true that 
English gooseberries are better than curs but it is also trne that 
comparatively few of them are grown in this State. One great 
obstacle to the cultivation of these mammoth gooseberries in this 
country heretofore has been their susceptibility to a fungus @is- 
ease known as the gooseberry mildew. in experiments conducted 
at this station this mildew has been successfully and cheaply 
fought and the result is that English gooseberries are successfully 
grown on the station grounds year ufter year. The fungicide 
used for this purpose is a solution of potassium sulphide at the 
rate of one pound to thirty-two gallons of water. Fruit sprayed - 
with this mixture may be eaten without fear of any poisonous 
results. With the knowledge of good methods of culture and 
successful treatment of mildew we expect that taany people will — 
find the cultivation of English gooseberries profitable, and that 
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