Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-07-24


ture and the Remedies that Their
Study Has Recommendations,
Blight. Rust aud MiIdew.
In a recent Bulletin Of the Ohio Agri-
cultural Experiment station, Mr.. Clar-
ence NJ. Weed says that investigations
and experiments made within the last
few years upon various rots, smuts,
blights, mildews and other affections of
plants caused by fungi, have already
given US practical remedies for many
OF these pests, and there is good reason
to hope that many others will soon be
brought under control. On account of
the great interest in the subject now
felt by many fruit growers it has been
thought desirable to present in this
Bulletin q general discussion Of the
subject, together with formulas for the
preparatihns OF the several fungicides
now In use.
To give the reader a clearer idea of
what Is meant by fungOus disease, l
cannot do better than to quote the fol-
lowing discussion by DIR. Roland Thax-
ter, Of the Connecticut experiment sta
ton.
"Fungus or fungous disease, that Is
disease caused by fungus or fungi, is
the term properly applied to a majori-
ty of ailments among plants which are
such names as blast, blight, mildew,
mould, rot, rust, scab, scald and smut,
all of which convey to the mind more
or less confused and Inaccurate idea of
what they are intended to distinguish.
Such diseases are accurately known on
ly by the scientific names which have
been given to the fungi which cause
them. For example, the onion smut
in Connecticut is known as Urocystis
Cepul@; Urocystis being the generic or
group name given to all smuts having
the special characters found in the on
ion smut, while Cepulse, which notes
the fact that it Is found in on small cul-
tivated onions, is the special name ap-
piled to the particular species mention
ed.
| "Whatever different names we may
decide to give them, or rather to their
visible effects or products, their nature
is practically the same in all cases.
That is, the injury is caused by certain
lowly organized plants, living on or in
the plant which harbors them and is
conveniently called their host or host
plant. Their Negative portion consists
of an indefinite growth of thread-like
tubes, which usually branch in, grow
in, on or through the tissues of the
host, and absorb from them their con-
tanned nutriment. Such thread-like
tubes are called hyphR and from them
are produced the reproductive bodies
of fungus, usually in the form of what
are called spores. The spores, which
correspond in many cases to the seeds
of higher plants, and perform the same
function are very various in their size
shape, color and markings. Many are
simple composed Of single cell, an6
Others are compound and divided by
partition into from two to sometimes
very many cells. They are usually very
minute and invisible to the naked eyt
except in a mass. In termination
which takes place under proper condit
ions of warmth and moisture, one o.
more hyphe are produced from the
spores or its divisions, and on or from
the hype thus produced, are ultimate
ly formed more spores similar to tina
from which they sprang. In genera
: way then, and in the simplest case, tn,
individual fungus plant may be said t.
: consist of spore, producing series o
: threads, on which are borne othe
spores similar to that which they oweG
their origin"
Thus it will be seen that these diseas
es are caused by plants developing from
spores. Hence, II these spores can b'
destroyed, or If unaffected host-plant
can be coated with something which
will prevent the development of th'
: spores, the injury will be stopped. II
this fact is due the important-practi
: cal results recently reached in fighting
: plant-diseases.
The substances used for destroyin.
these spores, or preventing the devel
opment of the fungi are called fungi
! cides, or killers of fungi. The most i'm
portant fungicides now in use are tn
compounds of copper, especially tn
sulphate of copper or blue vitrol, ant
the carbonate of copper. From thes
substances two of the leading fungicid
solutions are made, the bordeaux mix
ture, and the ammonical carbonate o
copper.