
effective control is sodium selenate, used as directed on con- 
tainer. Two applications at two week intervals will give 
excellent control but will cause some injury on some vari- 
eties. Most growers consider the control worth the injury. 
Loro ts effective at 1 to 800 with a good spreader sprayed 
every 3 days for ten times, then weekly as preventative. 
2. RED SPIDER can be a lot of trouble, especially in 
warm weather. Daily “wetting down’ of foliage is real 
help. Loro 1 to 800 with Grasselli 1 to 1200 is good, but 
may injure some varieties, especially in warm weather. 
Vapotone has given good results but has been tried only on 
a few varieties. Try it on a few plants first. Since this ma- 
terial gives no control of eggs, three. sprays at four day 
intervals are needed. : 
3. THRIP. Detex or any good DDT spray is very effec- 
tive. 
4. APHIS. Nicofume pressure fumigation is good. 
Nicofume liquid 1 to 300 with Grasselli spreader 1 to 1000 
will give control. We find Vapotone very effective; see 
cautions under Red Spider above. 
5. LEAF MINER. Nicofume liquid with soapy spreader ; 
must be fairly strong. 
6. MEALY BUG. Water syringing under good pres- 
sure is one of the best controls. Loro plus a good spreader 
and not too strong will give results. Vapotone with Santo- 
merse S spreader at 1 to 2000 will give good kill but must 
be tried out on each variety on a small scale first. 
7. LEAF ROLLER (tier) and cut worms. Detex or any 
good DDT spray. 
8. FOLIAR NEMATODE. Select cuttings from clean 
plants and bench only in sterilized soil. Also, if infestation 
occurs, keep foliage dry at all times. Splashing water spreads 
the worms. Some infestations may be cleaned up with sod- 
ium selenate. Apply at strength recommended on container 
2 weeks after planting. Then repeat in another 2 weeks. 
May injure some varieties. 
9. GRASSHOPPERS. Hand picking, or arsenate of 
lead dust. Don’t: dust plants about to be cut. 
PRINCIPAL DISEASES 
1. STUNT. A new disease having made its first serious 
appearance in the fall of 1947. Principal symptoms are 
dwarfing of plant and blooms to about 14 to 2/3 normal 
size, earlier bud and bloom formation, and on red varieties 
a notably paler color. Otherwise plants are normal; blooms 
are usually saleable as seconds. Stunt does not cause any 
shrivelling of leaves or rotting of the plant. 
The disease has been identified as a virus. As such it 
can be spread from stunted to healthy plants by some such 
means as insects, soil transmission, etc——not definitely 
known at this time. Altho time has not permitted thoro 
pall FOR FLORISTS 
BETTER MUMS Spb ge 

investigation of stunt yet, a few general control measures 
can be outlined. Obviously you must bench only stunt free 
cuttings. In selecting stock plants for propagation, they 
must be taken from a lot free of stunt—and preferably 
from a house free of stunt. A plant infected late in its 
growth period may never show stunt symptoms, but will 
transmit it to its cutting progeny. Cuttings taken from 
stunt free stock plants, kept in sterilized soil, and kept free 
of insects thruout growth should normally flower stunt 
free the next fall. Aphis ate suspected of being carriers 
of the virus. It may travel thru the soil from infected to 
clean plants. Like most diseases, it attacks certain varieties 
worse than others. And like Aster yellows (a virus), once 
a plant is infected, there is no cure. 
Like any new disease, it will take several seasons to lo- 
cate and thoroly test stunt free “parent’’ blocks—and to 
build up stock of them. Meanwhile, all possible is being 
done by scientists at the U.S.D.A., Cornell and other 
schools, and by research people at Yoder Brothers, Bar- 
berton, to establish definite control measures—and to pro- 
vide cuttings free from stunt as is humanly possible. 
Where growets are unable to obtain cuttings guaranteed 
stunt free, some help may be obtained by over-propagating 
suspected varieties say 50%. Cuttings are potted or banded 
and just prior to benching 1/4, of the weakest plants are 
discarded. 
2. VERTICILLIUM (Seidewitz Disease) is a serious 
Mum problem. Starting at edges, leaves turn yellow, dry up 
—usually from the bottom of the plant first. Some varieties 
take it worse than others. Only known control is to plant 
cuttings which have been cultured against it—and be sure 
to use sterilized soil. Steam preferred. 
3. SEPTORIA. Small dark brown spots, increasing in 
size, finally causing leaves to drop. Attacks lower leaves 
first. Most serious on outdoor plantings. Delay propagat- 
ing till long shoots are available; take only a short cutting 
out of the tip. Dip cuttings in Fermate, 1 Ib. per 100 gal- 
‘lons of water. Keep foliage dry in sand and clear thru 
growing period. After planting, spray plants with Fermate | 
1 Ib. per 100 gallons every 10 days till plants are 18 inches 
high. Spraying is especially important on outdoor plantings 
in rainy seasons. 
4. MILDEW. Sulfur dust is effective if no colored 
flowers are present. Malachite green spray may be used. 
Greenol (California Spray and Chemical Co,) with Santo- 
merse S, 1 to 2000, has been recommended recently as 
being very effective. 
5. RUST. Same spray program as was recommended 
for Septoria leaf spot. 
For cultural notes on Pot Mums, see page 21. 
pete = peas 

