Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-27

WASHINGTON, d. c., SAT
FLOWERS STRUCK WITH DISEASE.
Cultivated violets Being Dsstroyed-Holy-
hooks and Carnations Threatsned.
MANY ANXIOUS APPEALS have been re-
A'A ceived recently by the Department Of Ag-
riculture from growers Of flowers for market
in various parts Of the country begging for
help in fighting certain serious diseases which
and the hollyhock.
Just at the present time particular interest
must attach to the carnations trouble, inas-
much a. the bureau Of vegetable pathology has
discovered that the complaint is caused by bac-
teria-the same sort Of little vegetable organ
| isms, though Of another species, as Prof. Koch
10 trying to destroy in consumption patients
with the wonderful lymph. Until within .
| very short time-three or four years, in fact
1t has been supposed that all diseases Of plan ts
were occasioned by parasitic fungi, 30 that
the law creating this division Of the De-
partment Of Agriculture declared that
the money appropriated for its
| support should be expended in investigating
and finding remedies for 'the fungous diseases
Of plants" Accordingly, when the discovery
was made that bacteria were sometimes respon-
sible for morbid vegetable symptoms, there
was some embarrassment, and Congress
had to be asked to enlarge the scope Of
are called-have only begun to look iuto this
novel subject and have not yet accomplished
much in calculating it, What they will sue
coed in doing remains to be seen. Who knows
but that they will compose lymph for their
own purposes, to be sprayed upon leaves and
flowers with An atomizer?
DIsEAsE OF THE VIOLET
Flower growers are suffering very serious
pecuniary loss by the disease Of the carnation,
violets is much worse, threatening az it does to
cause almost Immediately the entire abandon
ment of the cultivation of the sweet little bios
som so dear to poets and to all mankind.
Already it has been decided that no attempt
shall be made next year to raise vioets in the
hot houses Of the great propagsting gardens
near the Washington monument. President
Harrison will have none Of the violets which
were expected to adorn the White House dur
ing the Christmas holidays because the big
green house filled with the plants 125 feet long,
ia one blight. In most cases where fungous dis
eases are concerned spraying with copper so
lutions is found effective, but such treatment
has not helped the violet at all, and SO the bu-
reau Of vegetable pathology is trying to find
some other cure.
THE HoLLYHocK's AILMENT.
The disease Of the hollyhock, also of fungous
nature, has been making itself extremely
costly to the growers of flowers of late, but it is
found to be amenable to treatment by spraying
with the proper copper mixture. the recipe for
which may be procured from Prof. Galloway,
chief of the bureau.
THE NUMEROUS FLORAL DISEASES.
1t Is really a wonder, all things considered,
that any Towering plant thrives at all, since
each one has at least two or three fungous
enemies. The grape alone has quite fifty such
foes of different kinds and more than $50
species live upon the apple. Few people are
aware that we have constantly around and
about us a host of almost invisible plants
which play as important a part in the
economy OF nature as the grasses Of
the field and the trees Of the forest.
One OF these groups, the lowest in the yegeta-
bic Kingdom, comprises the bacteria, includ-
ing those species which, gaining foOthOld in
the human system, create by feeding upon and
destroying the tissues those diseases which are
known az consumption, pneumonia, typhoid
fever, carbuncle. diphtheria and many Others
Above the bacteria comes the group of fungi.
including the toadstools. mushrooms, rusts
mlldews and blights. For the most part the
fungi are so small that the highest powers of
the microscope are necessary to see them.
Many live upon dead and decaying matter, and
are thus benefcial but there is exceedingly
large class which attacks both living animals
and living plants. 1t is only fair 70 say that
some of these latter forms do good by attacking
and destroying nOxiOus weeds. Indeed there
is no doubt that many of the most troublesome
weeds are held in check by their agency.
THE POTATO ROT EXPLAINED.
Unfortunately, the injurious fungi, which are
true plants, have not the power of getting their
food from the air and soil, as is the case with
the higher forms of vegetable life. Conse-
9uentiy they become Parasites. particularly of
the cultivated crops. Potatoes are very dear
at present because a fungus is attacking
the tuDer. 1t gets into the potato and
grows by extending innumerable little
thread-Eke branches in every direction
through the substance of the unlucky yegeta-
Bile. As it develops in this way it transforms
the potato cells into fungus cells and the re-
suit is what is called rot Hence the famine
i'll Ireland. The fungus can be destroyed and
the crop saved at an expense of IS or Sc an
acre: but although the American farmer can
afford this Paddy cannot A solution of copper
Is the remedy to be employed.
PLANT HOSPITAL.
The parasitic fungi are nothing more nor
less than robbers, and the Investigations of the
mycologists are made with view to learning
their habits in order that the best methods for
combating them may be found out. Prof.
Galloway has a private green house attached to
his own residence which is a sort of plant hos
pital. In it he propagatcs all sorts of vegetable
diseases artlhclally, lnoculating healthy plants
with the most abominable complaints in order
that he may study their progress through the
various stages.
Although these microscopic foes have caused
many millions of dollars worth of damage
annually to the crops in this country.
no attempt worth mentioning was made
to investigate them until within the
past ten years; but the work ID now
being most actively carried on by the govern
constantly employed in the laboratory, while
special agents in various parts OF the United
States devote their time during the growing
season to experimenting with remedies. This
is most important subject with relation to
strides.
A BURST OF ROYAL TEMPER.